Thought for June 22

History:

• 1633: Galileo forced to recant heliocentric theory by the Church—Vatican admits it was wrong in 1992
• 1675: Greenwich Observatory founded
• 1874: Lawn Tennis introduced
• 1932: National League approves players wearing numbers
• 1940: First Dairy Queen
• 1944: GI Bill of rights signed into law
• 1955: Lady and the Tramp released
• 1990: Florida law prohibits thong bathing suits
• 2020: Covid deaths in Brazil exceed 50,000
• Born: Carl Hubbell [Baseball HOF], John Dillinger, Cicely Saunders [founded the first hospice], Bill Blass, Dianne Feinstein, Ed Bradley [journalist], Pete Maravich, Meryl Streep, Elizabeth Warren, Cyndi Lauper, Erin Brockovich, Clyde Drexler, Dan Brown , Kurt Warner, Dustin Johnson
• Died: Matthew Henry [Bible Commentary], David Selznick [Gone with the Wind], Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Pat Nixon, George Carlin

Thought:

Yesterday I was looking at what the Bible says about God and His anger so I could understand how I was supposed to control my own anger. I found these verses to help me. Maybe they will speak to you as well.

• Ephesians 4:26-27—Be angry yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and do not give the devil an opportunity. Before my eyes close each night, I should think about those things that made me angry during the day, confess them, repent of them, and forgive them. I cannot sleep in innocence without dealing with my anger. And when I do this, I may need to apologize to ask for forgiveness the next day. If I do not do this, I may lay on my bed thinking about all the ways to get even, to inflict pain, to repay evil with evil. This leads to malice. Perhaps the best way to release my anger is to pray for the person or situation that has caused me to get angry. I find that if I pray for those that make me mad, somehow I get less angry. I guess part of it is in prayer I have to face all those things that I do to make God angry. Then what someone else has done does not seen worth getting mad over. 
• James 1:19-20—Let everyone be quick to hear and slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Wow! If my goal is to be righteous in God’s sight, anger does not get me there. So I entrust all revenge to Him. But I also notice that my tongue can incite and inflame anger. We have all seen disputes escalate as the words got stronger and more heated. And if there are “friends” present, we certainly do not want to appear weak. Or maybe my pride and ego are at stake and so I boast or brag or threaten. My father used to tell me “son, your mouth is writing checks your body can’t cash.” A wise person also advised me to listen first to understand before listening to respond. If while you are talkig all I do is plan how I am going to reply, then I iss what you are trying to tell me. Maybe I should just listen and try and understand before I prepare that spear for response.
• Proverbs 15:1—a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. While it is certainly inappropriate language, some of you may recall the exchange on Saturday Night Live between Richard Pryor and Chevy Chase, when Chevy was an HR person and Richard was a job applicant. One word led to a worse word and the anger accelerated. What started as a simple job interview becomes a physical altercation with threats. We have all seen situations where “cooler heads prevail.” Someone steps in with a calm word and diffuses the situation. Be that person.
• Proverbs 14:26-27; 15:18; 22:24-26—He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly. . . .a hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. . . . Don't make friends with a hot-tempered person lest you learn his ways and find a snare for yourself. Here is the contagious factor—when I hang around angry people, their words inflame me, I join in and soon I am as angry as they are. So rather than calming the situation, I have poured gas on the fire. Riots and rebellions start this way. 

Today I am trying to think about those things or people who have made be angry—then address each one with forgiveness, grace and mercy. I bet I feel a lot better after I do this. 

Blessings

Larry