| A bad temper is not something to be proud of, but prayed over. When you blow your top, you just reveal your contents. And which of us hasn't done that, and regretted it? The Bible says losing your temper '...leads to harm' (NLT), because God knew we'd be dealing with:
1) Stress: By cramming too much into too little time, you set yourself up! Like violin strings that are pulled too tight, you end up snapping, then feeling guilty because you're not 'spiritual' enough. '...have a sane estimate of your capabilities...' (Romans 12:3-4 Phillips). In life 'it's always something,' so anticipate and allow time for the unexpected.
2) Frustration: Defined as 'someone or something that upsets you all the time.' A recent news story told of a guy who went hunting on his mountain bike. When it broke down he shot it to pieces. Crazy! It makes no sense, but as Robert Green Ingersoll said, 'Anger is like wind that blows out the lamp of the mind.'
3) Perceived violations of our rights: When you walk around feeling angry it clouds your judgment, because when the only tool you have is a hammer every problem looks like a nail. The bottom line is, it's not always about you! This is especially true in marriage. Jesus said that in order to receive, you must first learn to give (Mark 9:35).
4) Things that challenge your values: Sometimes 'enough is enough' and you need to speak up. When Jesus got angry in the temple it was because of dishonest practices and people being mistreated. In this case, '...In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil' (James 4:17 TM).
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