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THINK Before You Speak in Anger
By Rick Warren

“Stupid people express their anger openly, but sensible people are patient and hold it back.” (Proverbs 29:11 GNT)

Anger confounds many people in our world today. We simply don’t know how to handle our anger as we have in the past. One of the Bible’s simplest yet most profound answers for our anger comes in Proverbs 29:11: “Stupid people express their anger openly, but sensible people are patient and hold it back” (GNT).

Think before you speak. Delay is a tremendous remedy for anger. You don’t need to delay indefinitely. If you’ve got an issue you must deal with, you must do so. Anger delayed indefinitely becomes bitterness. That’s worse than anger. Bitterness is always a sin; anger isn’t.

If you respond impulsively, you tend to respond in anger. If you wait to talk about whatever conflict you’re dealing with, you’ll be more rational and reasonable when you do. The longer you hold your temper, the better your response will be. Give yourself time to think.

When conflict arises, and you give yourself time to think, what should you think about? Consider these five questions:

T: Is it truthful? Is what I’m about to say the truth?

H: Is it helpful? Or will it simply harm the other person?

I: Is it inspirational? Does it build up, or does it tear down?

N: Is it necessary? If it’s not necessary, why do I need to say it?

K: Is it kind?

THINK before you speak. Reflect before you react. It’ll slow down your anger every time.

Talk It Over

Think back to a recent argument. Would more time before you responded have helped the situation?

Which question in the THINK acronym is most likely to be helpful to you when you’re angry?

What’s the biggest challenge to giving yourself more time before responding when you’re angry?