2:316 – About To Lose My Cool

#faithbites #faithjourney cool

Tonight was one of those nights when the kids were just not listing. Two were excited to have a sleepover and weren’t listening, while the other was just being a turd. Rude, not being nice, and just being unpleasant to be around. I know we all go through phases., but every little thing was just so much tonight. How hard is to just listen, be nice, and do what you are told. Sheesh.

I tried not to yell, tried to talk nicely and respectfully, but a small part of me just wants to lose my …. cool (I won’t use the other word I was thinking about).

It’s in these moments when I have to turn it over to God. He has a plan and a way that I can’t see. I want to force a solution and make it work, but tonight, I just have to breathe. To quote the song “Jesus, take the wheel”.

Scripture

• People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness. – Proverbs 14:29 (NLT)
• A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them – Proverbs 15:18 (NLT)
• My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. – James 1:19-20

Reflection

Sometimes I am a fool and lose my cool. In my family, we call it the Lieb temper. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve controlled it more, but sometimes, man my blood boils. We all know that we should be quick to listen, slow to become angry because it isn’t what God wants. The truth is, it’s easier said than done.

What I’m trying to learn and what I see in scripture is anger doesn’t solve problems. Those who fight and are quick to judge loose. When I’ve raised my voice it only raises my kids’ voices. When I lose my cool, they lose it. It’s time to lower the temperature.

A great tool is just walking away. Taking that time to be with yourself, think, breathe, and be with God. Jesus did it on several occasions. Yelling won’t solve it, but maybe spending some time with the Lord will.

Challenge

Is there a person or situation that makes your blood boil? Have you “tried everything” and nothing works? Take a minute to walk away and pray on it. It may sound silly, but it works. Pray for strength and for calmness. You may not get an immediate solution, but calmness will fortify you for what’s next.

Prayer

Lord, I am blessed with family, friends, and fortune. My children are a great gift to me. All of your children have different blessings with people in their lives and all of them get upset at some point or another. While we know it’s normal, we are also sinful and act in ways we shouldn’t. Help us to walk away and seek your guidance. Be with us as we struggle with how to act. Remind us that love is the answer, not anger and frustration. You are the great provider and comforter, we seek your comfort now. In your name, Amen.