Are You Easily Irritated?

PRAY OVER THIS

“(Love) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:5-7

 

PONDER THIS

Love is not irritable. Do you have a hair-trigger temper? Are you a person who easily flies off the handle or is easily irritated?

Years ago, when I was working my way through school, there was a deacon in our church who hired me to work for him. I thought he was one of the most wonderful men I’d ever known. I worked with this man, and on one occasion I saw this man I greatly respected get so angry. He picked up a tool and threw it all the way across the room, muttering something that I would not want to repeat. I was so hurt because I’d looked up to him. He was a leader in our church, and I was just a young person. I thought how sad that this man was so easily provoked.

We all have our faults. There have been those moments when I have taken my eyes off the Lord and gotten provoked, and the Holy Spirit has reminded me, “Adrian, the reason you did that is because that’s what you were full of.” What spills out is what you’re full of. We need to learn to drown insults in a river of love. One of the precious virtues of love is that it is not irritable.

How easily are you irritated? What are specific things that set you off?

How has someone’s patience made an impact on your life?

PRACTICE THIS

Ask someone you are close with to keep you accountable for times you are easily irritated. Resolve to drown insults you receive in a river of love.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers