August 13

Ezra 8:1-9:15
Psalm 96:10-13
Proverbs 20:2-3
Romans 7:1-25

Two Ways to Honk a Horn
It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool can get himself into a quarrel.—Proverbs 20:3

“Temper,” someone has said, “turns to bad or good according to what is behind it.” Remember that the word “temper” simply means “a disposition of mind” and really requires the words “good” or “bad” to be prefixed to it if it is to be clearly identified.

Dr. Stanley Jones says that there are two ways to honk a horn—the Christian way and the non-Christian way. The Christian way calls attention to a situation; the non-Christian way not only calls attention to the situation but it also calls attention to what the honker feels about it. In the USA I once saw a sign on a car that said: “Honk away—it’s your ulcer.” Ulcers are usually visible signs of an ulcerated spirit—ulcerated by irritation and bad temper.

Whenever we lose our temper and take it out on people around us, we do the utmost harm, not to them, but to ourselves. The one who is out of sorts with someone else is usually out of sorts with himself. He projects his inner problems onto others and fails to see the cause and remedy are in himself. I once witnessed a Sunday School superintendent lose his temper in a committee meeting, and when reprimanded by another for his bad spirit, he said: “I have to lose my temper in order to get anything done around here.” James 1:20 contradicts that view: “For man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.” Listen to it again, this time in the Phillips translation: “For man’s temper is never the means of achieving God’s true goodness.” Wrong means lead to wrong ends—inevitably.

Prayer
O Father, help me to meet all impatience with patience, all hate with love, all grumpiness with joy, and all bad temper with good temper. In Jesus’ name I ask it. Amen.

Further Study
Mt 5:1-26; Ps 37:8; Pr 14:17
What did Jesus teach about anger?
Are you angry with anyone?

Every Day with Jesus Daily Bible – August 13
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