Calm Down Before You React:
It’s said that anger is a loaded gun pointed towards oneself. The average human behavior implies, ”for every action, there is a reaction.” However, it is essential to note that a human being should distinguish from the rest of the world and be an individual of excellence; one must know when to react. You need to hold esteem that not every person or situation requires you to respond at the back of your mind. Some problems require you to walk away; some require you to be quiet, while some will require you to watch and learn. When you look into the lives of successful people, they rarely react to everything. Even dogs do not bark at every stranger.
But is anger sin? While an individual may annoy you, you need to realize that anger is not a sin. What you do as a result of your anger is what counts as a sin. If you are the type who turns violent or speaks profanities, or even does outrageous things that you may regret later, then what you do is considered a sin. More so, staying in anger until the sun goes down or even prolonging for days is a sin. In Ephesians 4:26-30, 26 ”In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27, and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what helps build others up according to their needs may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice”
Fruits of the Holy spirit sum up a person’s character, one of which is the fruit of self-control. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”Therefore, even in anger, when we exercise self-control, we react in a mature and grown-up manner. When James the apostle talked about anger, he said that human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Does this mean that resultant action interferes with our journey to righteousness and be like God? Yes, it does.
In many instances, people who are fast to react in anger are like fools. Moreover, we have been instructed not to associate with hot-tempered people. Proverbs 22:24 “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person; do not associate with one easily angered.”
Jesus cautions against anger and even advice not to give an offering if you have pending issues. In Matthew 5: 22, “But I tell you that anyone angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
In the words of Deborah Ann Belka;
The Gift of Self-Control
May the gift of self-control,
Be something, daily you present
May you show self- restraint?
When others do things, to upset.
May you manage your temper,
When others have lost theirs
May you defuse the situation
whenever tensions, start to flare.
May you hold your own tongue,
when others are being rude
may your silence, be what alters
the unpleasantness, of their mood.
May you harness your pride,
when others egos’ are inflated
may your constraint cause . . .
their arrogance to be deflated.
May the gift of temperance,
you give to others everyday
may you have self-control . . .
no matter who comes your way!
2 Peter 1:5-6
“And beside this, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue; and virtue
knowledge; And to knowledge temperance;
and to temperance patience; and to
patience godliness
Read More: Tips to Overcome Procrastination
Hello dear , this is a great article you have here as it reviews what most people go through with in life. There is a saying that one shouldn’t react when angered , because one may end up regretting things done when angry, we all have the ability to be angry and as such we tend to do crazy stuff when angry, so I have actually learnt that we should be calm before reacting, thanks for this article.
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Thanks for the reminder to always stop and pause and ideally reflect before responding when something angers you.
Also the clarity that anger is not a sin, it is only our actions or thoughts that result from anger that may lead us to potentially sin.
I have learned over the years to rarely react to the stimulus that causes me to feel angry. It always pays to pause/reflect and consider the other persons standpoint. Take time out if I need.
I appreciate you assembling the bible passages around dealing with anger. This is really helpful!
I love your words quoted – “the gift of temperance”
Also 2 Peter 1:5-6 “And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness”
You have really emphasised the bigger picture here. Thanks for your inspiration and brilliant post on calming down before you react.
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Is it calm down before your react or calm down before you react? It’s on here twice so it looks deliberate. These are some great pointers and I love the poem at the end. It’s true that these can help prevent negative responses and ruining relationships and friendships with people. I’m glad I saw this.
Thank you for your correction, it was not deliberate just a huge oversight. Happy for your comments.