Why Get Angry?

This past Friday was one of those days when one feels, “If one more thing goes wrong today, I think I’m going to explode!”  Friday is my busiest day with a lot of activity and last minute gathering of news and notes for publication in the weekly bulletin for Sunday distribution. On top of that, it’s the end of the month with extra communications, monthly donation obligations to mail out and monthly reports to begin assembling for upcoming business meetings. Well, everything normally sails right along until, the phone starts ringing off the hook, people start filling the office in need of this or that and I find myself in and out of the office going here and there helping others and half the time only spinning my wheels accomplishing nothing. Then, on top of it all, the computer starts doing goofy things and the printer starts going berserk, pushing all my buttons while I’m pushing all its buttons. By the time I got it stopped everything inside me was showing outside, but, I kept the top of my head on and continued dealing with my office visitor. About forty-five minutes later I discovered what was going on. It seems my anti-virus program, Microsoft and Adobe all decided to send an update at the same time. I’m not a computer expert by any means, but I’ve concluded recently that some new install manager programs tend to take parts of the computer hostage while updating to avoid the user from messing things up, hence it seems something is wrong with the computer. Give it time and a restart is my standard practice. When three updates are going on at the same time, one is better off going to lunch no matter the time of day, know what I mean?

An Old Chinese proverb goes like this: “If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.” I’m not sure about the number of days, but the basic idea is certainly true. Any of these sound familiar? “I wish I hadn’t said what I did.” “I would give anything if I had kept my mouth shut.” “I wish I could take it back.” Most of us have been forced to use one or more of these, or similar, expressions. What about the determination to keep ourselves under control? Some brag that they speak their mind. Those who have to hear them know that is not a good thing (something I’m still trying to control and it seems it might take the rest of my life). The rest of us need, in calmer moments, to resolve that we will speak with poise, even when provoked.

[Proverbs 16:32] “Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.” Each of us needs to say, “I am determined, with God’s help, not to let anyone make me angry enough to lose control of my temper.” When we lose control - we lose. “...Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. ...humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:19-21). Sir Winston Churchill's funeral was on January 30, 1965. He had instructed that after the benediction, a bugler positioned high in the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral would play Taps, the tune that marks the day's end. But that was not the end. Another bugler was placed on the other side of the massive dome, and he played Reveille, the tune that marks the coming of a new day and a call to rise. That was Churchill's testimony concerning the resurrection. He wanted those gathered to know that there is hope beyond the grave and judgment because Jesus Christ has opened the door to heaven for us by His own death, burial and resurrection. God’s reveille trumpet will sound soon (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)