Reflect Before You Respond
When you're angry, don't respond impulsively. Delay is a great tool in controlling anger. I'm not saying delay indefinitely, or even beyond a day; the Bible says don't go to sleep when you're angry. I'm talking about delaying it for five minutes. When you start to get ticked off, you take "time out" for a few minutes. Give yourself some time to stop, reflect and think it through. If you don't stop and think, you are likely to do the wrong thing. You need to reflect before you respond. When we get angry, we need to get in the habit of stepping back, waiting a few minutes, and, then, look at the situation from God's point of view. Notice the Bible says a wise man lets his anger cool down. (Proverbs 29:11) So "cool it" is a Biblical term! A modern translation might be: "The wise man waits and chills out." While you're cooling down, ask yourself - Why am I angry?
In bringing resolve to my anger what do I hope to accomplish?
Phone a trusted accountability partner who will give you spiritual Counsel. Knowing the reason for your anger will give you greater patience and, perhaps, even the ability to overlook an offense. (Proverbs 19:11)
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