Containing the Monster

So I should probably mention that I'm a little bit of a hot head. It really doesn't take much to get under my skin, and some people seem to make it a daily challenge for themselves to find some sort of way to irritate me. It had never dawned on me before that all these people are simply tests that God has given me.

I thought today might just be another normal day of work, like every other Wednesday. Unfortunately, there were just a series of things to go wrong, not to mention I had a bad attitude. But then I came home really just wanting to rest, and it seems like my name is being called left and right to go do stuff. Now normally, I really don't mind helping out around the house, but today was just one of those days where I just want to sit down for a good while.

But instead of just doing what I ask, I went on this spoiled brat type of rampage about how all I do is work while my siblings do nothing all day. This not only made me look really immature, it insulted my sister and brother. Eventually I did the things that were asked of me, and it gave me time to reflect on the things I'd said. Luckily, this time it wasn't anything too harsh to actually hurt their feelings (I sometimes forget people have those).

Proverbs gives two great verses about containing your anger. "Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his anger than takes a city" (16:32), and "A hot tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel" (15:18).

So what lessons did I learn today? I can't control what other people do. All I can control is how I respond to it and then figure out how to grow from it. I'd say I failed the tests God gave me today, but at least now I realize an aspect of myself that I might not have seen before. So next time you really just want to fly off the handle because everyone and their mother seems to be on your case today, stop and think about what they might have had going on today. You might be the best part of someone's day, and you don't want to ruin it because you have a temper and a bad attitude.

Peace and blessings,
Kristin