DAILY DEVOTIONAL – August 3, 2020
“Keep Calm. Jesus Loves You.”
Prayer: You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Psalm 86:15). Have mercy on us, forgive us for our impatience with others, and strengthen us by Your Spirit, and in Your Word, to share the grace and patience You have given to us. In Jesus name, amen.
Scripture – Proverbs 15:1
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”
Devotional – “Keep Calm. Jesus Loves You.”
What is it about driving that makes all of us so easily irritated? There’s just something about being in traffic, being cut off by a careless motorist, being tailgated by someone who wants to drive 100mph, or being stuck behind another driver who is driving 30mph on the highway that brings out the worst in us.
There is an old Disney cartoon featuring the character Goofy that I distinctly remember from my childhood, and in preparing today’s devotional it replayed vividly in my memory. I actually found it on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFHT1lw3vSI). The cartoon title was Motor Mania, and how the narrator in the cartoon describes this transformation within us when we get behind the wheel is quite funny, especially when you watch the cartoon, because it’s so true. The cartoon features Goofy as Mr. Walker, and the narrator says:
“Mr. Walker lives in a quiet, respectable neighborhood. He is a typical average man. He is a good citizen and of average intelligence. He is a kindly man; courteous, punctual, and honest. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. Nor step on an ant. He believes in live and let live. Mr. Walker owns a motor car and considers himself a good driver. But, when he gets behind the wheel, a strange phenomenon takes place. Mr. Walker is charged with an overwhelming sense of power. His whole personality changes abruptly, and he becomes an uncontrollable monster, a demon driver. Mr. Walker is now Mr. Wheeler!”
A few years back The Sun newspaper in the UK published an article about an increasing trend where drivers would leave mean and threatening notes on the cars of people who selfishly parked in a manner that either took up more than their one parking stall or impeded traffic. However, the article featured one note left on a windshield that took a different approach.
Here’s what the article said. “The power of the windscreen note strikes again, as an angry resident shames a careless parker in the most passive-aggressive way possible. It turns out that using an illustration of an adorable dog could be the best method of ridding your road of parking hogs. The printed message, which was left on the car windscreen, reads: “I am giving you this dog, his name is Spot. I thought you might want him, as you seem to be trying to take as many spots as possible. I hope this helps.”
Many commenters commended the resident for their way of handling the irritating situation. One person commented online saying, “That’s a cute, non-threatening note. It also gets the message across.” Another online comment was a bit more confessional, saying, “I wish I was creative enough to come up with something like this. I would just become irate and curse under my breath.”
It’s hard to heed the wisdom of our text from Proverbs, isn’t it? “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” As hard as it may be, there are many good reasons we should strive to discipline our emotions as disciples of Christ, even within the privacy of our own vehicle.
First of all, because we are disciples, we must remember that though there were certainly times when Jesus expressed righteousness indignation and anger, that is not why people flocked to see Him nor is that what made people believe that He was telling the truth. It was Christ’s compassion and patience and mercy that changed the world then, and it is that same compassion and patience and mercy that will continue to make the biggest impact on people. The book of Proverbs puts it this way in chapter 25:21-22, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
In the second place, doing our best to have a gentle response, even in our anger, is better for us. Psalm 37:8 says, “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.” Though it may temporarily make us feel better to vent our frustrations, in the end we never really feel better and we haven’t really done anything but increase the chance of receiving anger ourselves. As Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Finally, we should remember that it is not our place to avenge or set other people in their place. If people do respond to our angry outbursts, it’s only because they don’t want anything more to do with us, not because we have changed their mind with anger. James 1:20 reminds us, “The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
I am the first to admit that this kind of emotional discipline over our anger is very difficult. We cannot do it ourselves. Our ability to respond to frustrating situations with grace is to first remember the grace given to us and the patience the Lord has with us, and not just remember, but walk continually in His grace and experience that grace each day through a life of prayer and a life lived in the Word of God that Jesus says is the power to sanctify our life (John 17:17).
So keep calm my friends, we have every reason not to sweat the small stuff, because God has forgiven yesterday, is with us today, and has already taken care of tomorrow. Amen.
