Wiser and Happier: Special Military Edition from Time of GraceSample

Personal Integrity: Control your anger “Born to Be Wild” is more than just a song (Steppenwolf, circa 1968). It is a summary of the basic human state of mind when untouched by the gospel. Come on--admit it. Throwing off restraint is exhilarating. So is losing your temper. There was a time when I thought that angry people were unhappy. Actually it’s worse than that. Blowing up and “going off” on someone actually releases a blast of adrenaline that many people find exciting. There’s a thrill to telling somebody off. Have you felt it? There are groups of people, even families, who don’t know any way of communicating with one another except through angry words. It’s just expected that one insult is going to be answered with an even bigger put-down, and so on. And if you have the misfortune of spending any time with such a group of people, before too long you will be acting like that too. It’s as if you’re tapping into something deep inside of you that otherwise you’d consider best left alone. The problem is that anger is pure emotion, and emotion is usually irrational. Anger outbursts rarely solve any problems or do any good. They more often destroy things and people. Here is some of God’s wisdom: “He who guards his lips guards his [soul], but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin” (13:3). If you’ve lost your temper, let Jesus help you find it again. And if you must be wild, just wait to take a ride on your Harley when you get back.