Temper

    Temper. Do you have one? I think maybe most people can be pushed into responding to some outside stimulus that we find extremely distasteful. Losing one's temper is not a very pretty sight. In fact in most cases when someone "loses it" they look rather stupid and foolish and nothing good comes of it.

     There is no sin involved in becoming angry. A New Testament writer said "Be angry but do not sin." When Jesus went to Jerusalem, He drove out the dishonest Jews for turning God's temple into a place of thievery. He turned tables over and even made a whip to use for the occasion.

     The problem is not getting angry, but why are you angry and how are you expressing it? It seems to me that getting angry over injustices done to others, oppression of the weak, abuse of the defenseless and etc. demands that we show some emotion. However, far too many people get upset over things that really do not matter-Cut off in traffic, someone crowds in front of you or someone gets in the line marked " 10 items or less" and they have a basket full.

    What do you get angry over? How do you deal with it?

Norman Russell