Anger management (3)

The Bible says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” As a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit living within you, and one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control (see Galatians 5:23). That means as a Christian you can control your temper, and as a Christian you must control it. You say, “I get mad easily because I’m Irish!” You’re not supposed to live according to your old nature, but your new one! Anger is like a river. Controlled, it can generate enough electricity to power an entire city. Uncontrolled, it can overflow its banks and become a raging flood that destroys everything in its path. And as surely as a river can be controlled, so can your temper. Have you ever been in a big argument at home with your spouse or one of your kids? Suddenly the telephone rings; instantly you pick it up and answer in a soft, controlled tone, “Hello-o-o-o. May I help you?” What just happened? You proved that your anger can be controlled and tamed. The Bible says, “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness” (Proverbs 14:29 NLT). Not everything is worth getting angry about. The more calmly you see a situation, the more clearly you’ll see how to handle it. So if you have a quick temper, here’s some good advice. When you’re angry, count to ten before you speak. And when you’re really angry, count to one hundred—then don’t say anything.