Some people have short temper, and they amuse me. I wonder how their day-to-day activities look like with their kind of temperance. I mean, a lot of people around us will either disappoint, annoy or disregard us. How can those with bad temper deal with them?
I have learned from the Bible that we ought to give allowance to people’s inability to meet our expectations. Colossians 3:13 says, “make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” When we ask for forgiveness from the Lord, He forgives us and loves us without finding fault. However, when it comes to us humans, our temper usually gets in the way.
How many times have I said to somebody (verbally or non-verbally), “you’re getting on my nerves!” without careful consideration of how the Lord has given me an allowance for my mistakes. Again, it is to be accepted that there will always be people who will fail our expectations. The catch is to allow yourselves to be challenged and changed by them.
Regarding this note, I think that the level of your spiritual maturity is measured by the degree of what makes you angry.
So what makes you angry?
What's So Amazing About Grace?
“Having spent time around "sinners" and also around purported saints, I have a hunch why Jesus spent so much time with the former group: I think he preferred their company. Because the sinners were honest about themselves and had no pretense, Jesus could deal with them. In contrast, the saints put on airs, judged him, and sought to catch him in a moral trap. In the end, it was the saints, not the sinners, who arrested Jesus.”
– Phillip Yancey, What’s So Amazing About Grace
Grace is a powerful word. It prompts us to love the unlovable and to accept the things that are hard to swallow. It makes us aware of the fact that we are living in a world where people hurt people and frustrations are inevitable. It makes us accept the fact that, while there are sinners and oppressive people around us, there are hypocrites as well, among us – saints who are condemning those who are wrong, oppressing the weak, belittling the poor, and abusing the prestige of the people are giving them.
Grace is so amazing that it equalizes us. There is no single person who doesn’t need grace from people, much more from, the Lord. It sets the premise that we are living in co-dependence with the people around us, and total dependence on the Lord’s grace and mercy.
The book that I have quoted is one of my favorite books written by Philip Yancey. It is a book that offers a wonderful subject to delve into - grace. It explores the issues surrounding grace – what it is in the light of God’s word and how do we become vessels of it. It characterizes the very nature of Jesus Himself and impels us to be the same.
But even his exposition is not enough to cover the vastness of the subject. If grace is an ocean, any book that tries to describe and expound it is just a puddle in comparison. It is meant to be experienced, not described.
When the Extremes Meet
What I love about God's grace is that it melts away my reasons to be angry. It casts away my bitterness, breaks the chain of my resentment, and takes away my shame and fear. Perhaps the reason why I can say my temper is somehow controllable is that I have found the Person who calms my rage within. I know I can trust Him. I know I am in good hands. People may still "get on my nerves" but I am overcome by His love, hence I love. I am given grace so I can extend grace to others as well.
Hi, I am Marts! I am a writer, and aside from my stint here in read.cash, I also have my own blog - martsvalenzuela.com. I appreciate it if you pay me a visit! I plan on growing my readership as I learn to improve my craft and journey towards my passion to write and publish books that add value to people.
Let's rock!
Exactly! We were given grace so it is just right to extend grace to others. That's also the reason why am I always trying to extend my patience on any situation.