You overslept, the car wouldn’t start, you were late for work, your computer crashed! These things can make you angry, but only if you let them. Solomon said, ‘A quick-tempered person does foolish things,’ so if you fly into a rage, expect a rough landing! The Bible says, ‘Patience is better than strength. Controlling your temper is better than capturing a city’ (Proverbs 16:32 NCV). Anger always comes back to bite you and ends up doing more damage than the thing that triggered it. David said, ‘Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar’ (Psalm 5:3 MSG). Start by offering your day to God, then you will be less likely to react in anger when things go wrong. One pastor writes: ‘Our time here is short. What a shame to let something that happened – twenty years or twenty minutes ago – ruin your day. I’ve made up my mind to enjoy every single one. I may make mistakes; things may not go my way. I may be disappointed, but I’m going to live my life happy. I’m not going to let what does or doesn’t happen steal my joy. Every morning I say, “Father, this is going to be a great day. I thank you that I have discipline, self-control; that I make good decisions. I may not have done what I could have yesterday, but that day is gone. I’m going to do better today.”’ Ever wonder why a car’s windscreen is big and its rear-view mirror small? Because what’s behind isn’t nearly as important as what’s ahead. So keep looking ahead, and no matter what happens today, don’t lose your peace.
