Slow to Anger

What happens inside of us when someone criticizes us? I know for me, the first impulse is to defend myself; especially if I think my actions were justifiable, ... right?  While turning the tables on our "attacker" is natural, it is also potentially dangerous to our relationships (any type of our relationships that we have).  This is how daily everyday events quickly turn into major blow-ups.

As soon as you notice a disagreement or a misunderstanding escalating, immediately call a cease-fire! Often times, when you make that uncomfortable phone call or you sit down and talk through an issue, it not only helps you see the other person's point of view (which is also as vital, by the way), it also helps both parties grow stronger.


It's also important to indicate who the speaker is. The person holding the pen is the speaker. When the pen changes hands, the roles switch.  The speakers job is to get his/her point across, and the listener's job is to listen carefully and give feedback on what the speaker said.  This, ladies, is a very healthy way of communicating.  I can hear some of you saying that this is somewhat an artificial approach, but think about it...it is a gentle way of enhancing communication between two people.  Hopefully, you are able to slow things down, and emphasize on listening and working things out.  It helps you to be "quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to become angry." Using a simple technique like this helps avoid doing what comes naturally and choose to do what's good for the particular relationship. 


Read Numbers 14:18


Communication Builders:

• When you get angry, do your arguments quickly get out of hand? If yes, how can you put a stop to this pattern?
• Though this may sound silly, try a pen-passing conversation on a non-threatening topic