A story is told of a woman whose little girl was throwing a temper tantrum as the two went up and down the aisles of a busy grocery store. The toddler sat in the cart screaming and flailing about. As she continued shopping, she could be heard calmly muttering, "Don't yell, Susie. Calm down, Susie. Don't get excited, Susie." A woman passing by commended her saying, "You certainly are doing a great job trying to calm down your little girl." The woman replied, “My little girl? Lady, I'm Susie!”
When a situation gets loud and out of control, most people make the choice to try to calm who they consider to be the source of the chaos. They place blame... present an argument as to why the other person should stop their behavior... and are quick to deny any wrongdoing. The Bible wants us to think differently. In 2 Thessalonians 3, we read that God wants US to have peace at all times. Not our noisy neighbor. Not our out-of-control child. And not that angry boss. Us. When things get out of control... God wants us to calm ourselves. Why? Because when we get quiet...we can begin to think, pray, and focus on the actual causes of the problems. In our newly composed state of mind, logic prevails and love and grace can be displayed. So today, if you find yourself getting angry and feel like placing blame... just stop. Ask God to calm your spirit. And choose to be the peaceful one... you’ll avoid making it worse and will honor God’s intentions in the process.
