Defeat Anger

I was remembering back to the 1970's when my parents took me to visit my Aunt and Uncle in California. They took us to all the tourist attractions, Disney World, Universal Studio’s and to the ocean beach. Wherever we went we had to drive on the three lane freeways to get there. At that time I remember my uncle telling me that there was someone who had a gun and he would shoot the person in one of the cars driving on the freeway. They had a quite a few fatalities. I asked my uncle, “Why would someone do that?” He said, "They probably are mad, so if someone cuts them off with their car or does something he doesn’t like, then he just lifts his gun and shoots them". I don’t know if police ever found the criminal.

We often here on the news about road rage. I heard of one story about two drivers who both entered into road rage; both driving their car on the highway. In his rage, one man veered his car into the other driver’s car as to retaliate. The other car lost control of his car and flipped over. That driver was killed. Now the driver of the involved car is charged with murder. He had one moment of anger and lost all rational thinking and his reaction ended up killing the other driver, even though that may not have been his initial intent. His quick decision was fatal. The sad thing is that this behavior happens quite often on the road. I myself have found myself easily angered while driving my car. It is no excuse, but like most people we are in a hurry to get to work or to that next appointment. It was a hard day and we just want to get home and relax and wouldn’t you know it, you hit every light red and the car in front of you goes under the speed limit. Your frustration and your anger build. This could build for an hour. Suddenly someone engages you by cutting you off or swearing at you and before you know it you explode and retaliate or take the challenge. We do things in our cars we would not do if we were standing face to face with that person in the other car. The car gives us a sense of false power and protection.

I think we have all found ourselves caught in an incident while driving. Sometimes we are just enjoying the ride and wham someone cuts you off and gives you the finger. You wander what on earth is that person’s problem? I have been intimidated by transport trucks; pick up trucks that have practically clued their bumper to my little car. They try to make you go faster than the speed limit. They are telling you to move out of the way. If you don’t do it fast enough they bully you with their vehicle and cut you off. When this happens it can leave you feeling violated. I have felt that way. I have also been the one retaliating with a few swear words and the finger back at them.

One day I was praising the Lord and enjoying the ride to work. Suddenly someone cut me off at the light. Before I can catch my tongue and bite it off, I’m swearing at him or her for doing that, when I should be controlled and turn the other cheek, so to speak.
"Lord forgive me". Then afterwards, I think about it and feel bad that I allowed myself to lose control of myself. The Apostle James addresses this very issue. James 1:22 “If anyone considers himself religious and yet, he does not keep tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless”. Ouch! That is pretty clear and powerful verse, especially when like myself I know I have been guilty. Anger has always been one of my battles to overcome.

My husband Danny races stock cars on the oval track. We spend a great deal of time working on the car every night after work and all race day to prepare for the race. Some race days are very hot, high pressured and challenging. One race day seemed to be one challenge after another. Nothing seemed to be working right. The car set-up was off and the car was not performing well on the track. In the race Danny’s car bumped the car in front of him. That is racing. Lord knows Danny’s car gets bumped by other cars all the time. I know because I repair the body on the car each time that happens. The car he bumped was the driver who pitted right beside us. After the race the driver of that car bee-lined it over to Danny as quick as a fart in a wind storm. He proceeded to yell at Danny and call him names while Danny was still strapped in his race car. Danny didn’t even know what he had done wrong. Listening to his verbal assault on Danny while I was writing down tire pressures and sizes, this man’s abuse to Danny was making me angry. That driver is not really supposed to enter another driver’s pit area and attack. I could feel my anger toward him build like a combustible engine and I couldn’t bite my lip any longer. He ranted and raved. When it seemed like he was finished his attack I told him to go back to his own car. He promptly told me where to go. . . . . . . . My sinful nature responded to him by telling him where to go . . . Well, if he didn’t try to egg me on by telling me to hit him in the face, “Go ahead hit me - right here - I know you want to hit me”.
I did want to hit him. I looked at his size and thought about it for a moment. Thankfully, one of our pit crew stepped in-between us. Paul could see that all rational thinking had flown the coop. I think my Christian friend Patty who came to watch the race for the first time, was very surprised by my behavior. You have never seen anyone leave the pit area in such a hurry. Again I felt ashamed of my behavior and lack of control that I demonstrated. I had allowed my temper to get the best of me.

James 1:19-20 again challenges me and everyone to, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires”.
James 3:6 also writes, “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell”.

These are powerful verses and warnings however seemingly difficult to live out. None the less this is a good challenge and an encouragement to try and tame the tongue. Use the tongue for good and not evil.