Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. - James 1:19-20
I used to think reaching six decades of life with only a single wasp sting was something of an amazing feat. That is until it all changed suddenly this summer during a landscaping project while scouring our hillside for large boulders. The idea was to loosen the rocks from the ground and roll them down our hill to a level spot where I could easily retrieve them later. It seemed to be a great system until I picked up a certain stone and, in doing so, stirred up an entire nest of hornets. I was instantly engulfed in a swarm of angry insects, determined to sting me incessantly no matter how wildly I swatted, how loudly I screamed, and how far I ran. They were relentless in their retaliation and I was left with painful stings pummeled over the entirety of my body. Of course, it was never my intention to disturb their nest or create such chaos, but my innocent motives were no consolation for the vengeful hornets.
Hopefully, you have avoided such circumstances. But perhaps you can relate on an interpersonal level where you found yourself stirring up a hornet’s nest with the people around you. This can look like a flurry of angry words that have painful stings of their own. Pro tip: these situations aren’t likely to improve using my previously mentioned responses of swatting, screaming or running away. Instead, the Bible gives wise counsel when it advises us to remain cool in the face of someone’s anger and to control our own tempers as well. Listening—even beyond words being spoken—and pausing before we speak gives us time for thoughtful responses. Regardless of how the furious situation began, we can look to the Holy Spirit to guide and guard our interactions and help us restore calm and understanding to circumstances that can feel like an absolute hornet’s nest.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
Learning to resolve conflict in a positive way is an essential part of walking closely with God and reflecting more of Jesus in your life. Be patient with yourself as you practice improving your listening skills and controlling your temper. And always remember that God is anxious to help you in every challenging situation.