You make me mad! Really?

How many times do we hear this, but how can someone force you to be mad? Am I without control over my reactions to what others say and do to us. Is there a “mad” gene within us that absolves us of any and all responsibility of taking control over our lives?

The teaching about Jesus being the God man is important here. Being God, Jesus shows what God is like ("If you have seen me you have seen the Father" – gracious, kind, loving full of grace and truth). Being man, Jesus shows us man as God intends man to be (Man? Women are off the hook! :)). He demonstrates grace, kindness, love, gentleness and (in terms of this post) self control (i.e. all the fruit of the Spirit). As thy drive cruel nails through His hands and His feet He prays “Father forgive them, they do not know what they do!” So did they make Him mad? In the moment of greatest pain He is forgiving and looking after His mother. How is this possible? Only by the Spirit, and again part of the fruit of the Spirit is self control.

Certainly we loose our temper at times (I have not yet arrived have you?). Part of the problem is that we have failed to exercise the self control of those who, with constant practice, have by the Spirit overcome the sinful nature. We do not have a choice about what wrong is done to us, but we do have a choice as to how we react to the wrong done to us. More often than not, our response to wrong done is wrong too. We are told to be angry and sin not, and to cease from wrath (getting mad – in particular allowing ourselves to be out of control). We (I) need to change these patterns. As for me, I am not yet what I should be, but thank God I am not what I once was!