From Pastor Ben
Trivia:
Last week I asked you which year the very first model of the iPhone was released? 2005, 2007, 2008, or 2009.
I must admit that I thought it was 2005 but, in fact it was in 2007.
Challenge:
Ecclesiastes 7:9:
"Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool."
There are many verses that add additional insights into this verse. Here are just a few:
Prov. 14:17 "Short-tempered people do foolish things,..."
Prov. 14:29 "People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness."
Prov. 16:32 "Better to be patient than powerful;..."
Prov. 19:11 "Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs."
In a more modern lingo, "We are warned against the tendency to fly off the handle." OR, in more clinical words, "Demonstrating a lack of self-control reveals a decided weakness of character."
Check out these two familiar quotes:
"You can judge the size of a person by the size of what it takes to make them lose his temper."
"If we nurse grudges and resentments, then we will soon expose ourselves as fools."
Truly, intelligent people don't spoil their lives by such foolish/nonsensical behavior. Do you get the gist of all of these verses and quotes? Harsh, angry words being spoken can bring great harm to others as well as the distancing of friends.
I can confirm these truths from personal experience. I was a new attendee at Bible School. Due to the fact that I arrived several weeks early, I had requested working on a crew in exchange for tuition. I was placed on a group of workers who were assigned to putting ground cover around the admininstration building. I was assigned to partner with a foreign exchange student from Africa. He had never been taught how to work aggressively, so he would sing, and stop to greet everyone walking by us. My supervisor would drive by and express his frustration at our limited progress. After a week of this, I tried to explain to our supervisor the reason for our limited progress was due to the fact that I was the only one working on our team. He didn't affirm that he understood, but instead when observing our progress was overcome with anger called us lazy, etc. As the weeks progressed, we barely completed the one simple project.
As school began, I was notified that my original supervisor had requested for me to be placed on his work detail, this time in the kitchen. I was totally surprised at his request. My job was what they call "pearl diving." We would wash huge pots and pans which were constructed to cook and serve for large quantities. We would submerse the huge pans in a huge sink of boiling water. It required me to stand on a platform above the sink, then to place washed pots in the next area to spray off the soap and set out to dry. Due to the limited available staff, I was asked to fill in with the food preparation area (called sou chef). Because of my class schedule I was given the opportunity to move full-time into the food preparation area rather than with my current supervisor. I must say that I was glad to move away into a more administrative role and away from that rather volatile environment.
Later the next week, my original supervisor came by and asked me why I moved from his kitchen area. Much of the decision had to do with the opportunities available there. But in reality, it primarily had to do with when he was under pressure of his tendency to become frustrated and become angry at insignificant concerns. Actually, I couldn't get over during my landscaping project being called lazy, etc. In all of my work experience when I had given time, it was appreciated and I advanced in my work efforts due to the fact that I was a hard, creative worker. This experience affirmed for me that temper can surely result in loss.
SO GO WITH GOD, for He will guide you away from the attitudes and actions that cause harm to your efforts in life.