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While
on a recent trip, my family and I watched as three vehicles aggressively jockeyed
for the front position in a line of cars. To add to the strangeness of the altercation,
the traffic was fairly light, ensuring that no one was going to be any more than
a second behind the others when they got to the next light. The driver of one
car got out and started screaming obscenities at one of the other drivers, and
it looked like there was going to be a fight. I turned the radio up so that I
wouldn't have to listen the exchange!
The whole ordeal hinged around each person feeling like he or
she had a greater right to the road and to a specific position on it. If you drive
in any metropolitan area you can observe a show like this on a regular basis.
Although Jesus taught that there are times to get angry and
stand up for truth, letting someone have an unaffordable piece of your mind is
not recommended. Instead, remember to, "Let your gentle spirit be known to all
men... " because, "the Lord is near" (Philippians
4:5). Our goal should be to genuinely act and react like Jesus would, if for
no other reason than that He is near.
Angry actions and flaring tempers may not be your problem, but
you can apply the teaching to many of life's challenges. To empower your response,
take Paul's advice and pray for God's help (verse
6).
All Scripture references are from the New American
Standard Version unless otherwise noted.
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~ Attitude
