that raging temper

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from Proverbs 19:10-12. The writer tells us, "Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs." And that's great advice.

It's hard for some people to control their temper. Some people are more even keel, phlegmatic in nature, and don't anger easily. It's much simpler for those people to reel in their anger and not let their temper rage out of control. But others are built differently, and find it very difficult to control their temper.

Some tips for controlling your temper include: 1. Take a moment before you speak. Some people find it useful to count to ten. Just pause for a moment and recollect yourself before responding. 2. Express your anger in calm words. Don't bottle it up and ignore it. But don't explode, either. Tell the other person how you're feeling, but do it calmly. 3. Get some exercise. This helps you "blow off steam" and it keeps you from feeling that anxiety that comes from lack of activity. 4. Don't hold a grudge. Let it go. Talk about what bothers you, and then get past it. Don't hold on to past arguments or mistakes. Let bygones be bygones. You hurt yourself most by holding a grudge, and you also hurt the person you're holding it against. 5. Use humor to diffuse the situation. This works really well online, where you can take a break from an unpleasant comment and then reply with something clever or witty to take the sting out of the conversation.

But the Proverb has more wisdom for us. It says we "earn respect" by overlooking wrongs. That's huge. First, we see that respect is something to be earned, not something that people owe us automatically. Second, we see that letting little mistakes or grievances go, and focusing on the important, larger issues, is a great way to earn that respect. Blowing up over every little thing loses the respect of those who know how to prioritize.

God, thank You for teaching us about our temper, and about respect. Please help us to become wise by controlling one to earn the other.