SHOOT YOUR LAWN MOWER
A 56 year-old Milwaukee, Wisconsin man was arrested for shooting his lawnmower because it wouldn’t start. He said he was angry at his Lawn Boy, and told police “I can do that. It’s my lawnmower in my yard so I can shoot it if I want.” True enough. However, discharging an illegal sawed-off shotgun within Milwaukee city limits ... well, that's a different matter.
His second-amendment rights aren’t the issue. We’re talking about out-of-control anger. Proverbs 14:17 states “A quick tempered person does foolish things…” Yes, such as shooting your lawnmower with a sawed-off shotgun!
Does anyone besides me notice almost everyone seems angry today? Folks are looking for reasons to be offended. Whether it’s politics, rude drivers, or even nasty looks—anger lies just below the surface and erupts, much like a man shooting his lawnmower.
Ephesians 4:26 states, “Be angry, and yet do not sin.” The next verse adds, “Do not give the devil a foothold.” Anger gives the enemy an entry way into our hearts where we react in all kinds of crazy ways, some with devastating results. God’s desire isn’t that we avoid feeling angry, but that we avoid being “quick-tempered” and avoid harboring anger in our hearts.
So what should we do when our temper flares up? Pause. Don't speak; don't act; just breathe. If possible, walk away. In that moment, your only concern is what's the next right thing to do. Deal with the other person later. For now, pause and do nothing.
Abraham Lincoln stated, “You can tell the size of a man by the size of what makes him angry.” Be bigger than your anger. Swim against the current of our angry culture. Otherwise, you may find yourself pulling the trigger of a sawed-off shotgun aimed at your lawnmower.
Ponder:
What issue(s) in life push your angry button?
What practice helps you deal with your anger?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Proverbs 14:16-18.
Lord God, I fail in so many ways to honor you. I confess to you the sin of anger. Please give me the power to have control over my temper
(Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)