AMISH ANGER Counter Attack, Jay Carty, Multnomah Press, 1988, p. 41ff

An author for READERS DIGEST writes how he studied the Amish people in preparation for an article on them. In his observation at the school yard, he noted that the children never screamed or yelled. This amazed him. He spoke to the schoolmaster. He remarked how he had not once heard an Amish child yell, and asked why the schoolmaster thought that was so. The schoolmaster replied, “Well, have you ever heard an Amish adult yell?”

QUOTE : “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” - Napoleon Bonaparte

THE LOOK OF IRRITABILITY John Maxwell Developing the Leader Within You

An advisor to President Lincoln suggested a certain candidate for the Lincoln cabinet. But Lincoln refused, saying, “I don’t like the man’s face.”

“But, sir, he can’t be responsible for his face,” insisted the advi­sor.

“Every man over forty is responsible for his face,” replied Lin­coln, and the subject was dropped. No matter what you think about your attitude, it shows on your face!

The other day I saw a bumper sticker that read, “Misery is an option.” I believe it! So does the daughter of a woman I heard about. The woman and her daughter went Christmas shopping together. The crowds were awful. The woman had to skip lunch because she was on a tight schedule. She became tired and hungry, and her feet were hurting. She was more than a little irritable.

As they left the last store, she asked her daughter. Did you see the nasty look that salesman gave me?”

The daughter answered, “He didn’t give it to you, Mom. You had it when you went in.”

FROM THE AUTHOR OF COME TO JESUS

Dr. Newman Hall a preacher and author of a book entitled Come To Jesus, was a close friend of Charles H. Spurgeon. It seems there was another preacher in town who ridiculed Hall in an article he had written. Initially, Hall overlooked the insult, but as time went on and more people commented on the article, he became angry. He sat down and wrote a letter filled with bitter responses that was even more vicious than the article that had been written about him.

Before mailing the letter, Hall took it to Spurgeon to get his opinion. Spurgeon read it carefully and then handed it back, commenting that it was well written and that the man he was attacking deserved to be treated in this very way.

“But,” he added, “it just lacks one thing. Underneath your signature you ought to write the words, ‘Author of Come to Jesus.’“

Hall looked at Spurgeon for couple of minutes… and then tore the letter to shreds.

HEALED FROM ANGER Tony Campolo, “Year of Jubilee,” Preaching Today #212, Preaching Today.

Author and speaker Tony Campolo tells this story: I was in a church in Oregon not too long ago, and I prayed for a man who had cancer. In the middle of the week, I got a telephone call from his wife. She said, “You prayed for my husband. He had cancer.”

I said, “Had?” Whoa, I thought, it’s happened.
She said, “He died.” I felt terrible.
She continued, “Don’t feel bad. When he came into that church that Sunday he was filled with anger. He knew he was going to be dead in a short period of time, and he hated God. He was 58 years old, and he wanted to see his children and grandchildren grow up. He was angry that this all-powerful God didn’t take away his sickness and heal him. He would lie in bed and curse God. The more his anger grew towards God, the more miserable he was to everybody around him. It was an awful thing to be in his presence. After you prayed for him, a peace had come over him and a joy had come into him. Tony, the last three days have been the best days of our lives. We’ve sung. We’ve laughed. We’ve read Scripture. We prayed. Oh, they’ve been wonderful days. And I called to thank you for laying your hands on him and praying for healing.
And then she said something incredibly profound. She said, “He wasn’t cured, but he was healed.”

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND WORLD

Nikita Khrushchev understood this and graphically illustrated the difference between Communism and Christianity with this paraphrased remark: “The difference between Christianity and Communism is great. When someone strikes you on the face, you turn the other cheek. If you strike me on the face, I’ll hit you so hard your head will fall off.”

NO ONE CONTROLS ME Marshall Sylver in his book Passion, Profit, and Power

I realize that I am totally responsible for how I feel in any given moment and that no one has the power to make me angry or frustrated or happy or impassioned, unless I give them that power over my life.  I choose to give that power only to those people and circumstances that serve me and nurture me and support me. 

NO SPIT IN SOUP

Some fellows were stationed in Korea during the Korean War. While there, they hired a local boy to cook and clean for them. Being a bunch of jokesters, these guys soon took advantage of the boy’s seeming naiveté’. They’d smear Vaseline on the stove handles so that when he’d turn the stove on in the morning he’d get grease all over his fingers. They’d put little water buckets over the door so that he’d get deluged when he opened the door. They’d even nail his shoes to the floor during the night. Day after day the little fella took the brunt of their practical jokes without saying anything. No blame, no self-pity, no temper tantrums.
Finally the men felt guilty about what they were doing, so they sat down with the young Korean and said, “Look, we know these pranks aren’t funny anymore, and we’re sorry. We’re never going to take advantage of you again.” It seemed too good to be true to the houseboy.

“No more sticky on stove?” he asked. “Nope.”

“No more water on door.” “No.”

“No more nail shoes to floor?” “Nope, never again.”

“Okay” the boy said with a smile, “no more spit in soup.”

GOD GRANT… from Ali Raza.

God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do,
and the eyesight to tell the difference.

QUOTE: “I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally.” -- W. C. Fields.

POEM: I DON’T LIKE ANYBODY VERY MUCH

The Kingston Trio used to sing in the early 60’s this cute little ditty:
They’re rioting in Africa
They’re starving in Spain.
There are hurricanes in Florida
And Texas needs rain.

The whole world is seething
With unhappy souls.
The French hate the Germans
The Germans hate the Poles.

The Poles hate the Yugoslavs,
South Africans hate the Dutch,
And I don’t like anybody very much.

WERE YOU EVER THE IDIOT? Anne M. Klemm, R.Digest 8/2001 p. 81

One evening I was driving my 8 year old daughter to her grandparents’ home for an overnight stay. It was late, there was very little traffic and we were enjoying a peaceful ride. It was a far cry from the usual chaos surrounding us when I drive her to various activities during the rush hour.

My daughter seemed deep in thought when she said, “I have a question.”

“What do you want to know?” I responded.

“Mom, when you’re driving,” she asked, “are you ever the idiot?”

PUT IN POND FOR A REASON

Paul Lovelace runs a golf-ball salvage business and collected plenty of things from golf-course lake bottoms. “I once found a full bag of clubs with the guy’s address on the bag,” He says. “When I called the him, he said he didn’t want them back. He said they were in the pond for a reason.”

THE CHOLESTEROL CURSE HEARTLIGHT Magazine (online) 3/29/01

Now a new study from the University of Maryland Medical Center reaffirms that thesis. “We know that anger and mental stress impair the endothelium -- the protective barrier lining our blood vessels,” says the lead researcher. “This can cause fat and cholesterol buildup in the coronary arteries. But laughter may have the opposite effect -- it may stimulate elements that protect the endothelium.”

POWER OVER US Dale Carnegie
When we hate our enemies we give them power over us - power over our sleep, our appetites, our happiness. They would dance with joy if they knew how much they were worrying us. Our hate is not hurting them at all, but it is turning our days and our nights into hellish turmoil.

QUOTE: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but once the casts come off man, you better watch your back." - Unknown

THEY JUST COULDN'T GET ALONG The Best of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader

In August 1994, a Korean Air jet skidded across a rain soaked runway and rammed a safety barricade while landing in Cheju, Korea. All 160 passengers escaped safely, just moments before the plane exploded into flames. Cause of the accident: According to news reports, the pilot and the co-pilot had gotten into a fist fight over who was in charge of the landing controls.

It hit newspaper front pages in the 1880's, when the Hatfield clan feuded with the McCoy clan from across the border in Kentucky. Historians disagree on the cause of the feud -- which captured the imagination of the nation during a 10-year run. Some cite Civil War tensions:

McCoys sympathized with the Union, Hatfields with the Confederacy. Others say it began when the McCoys blamed the Hatfields for stealing hogs. As many as 100 men, women and children died. In May 1976, Jim McCoy and Willis Hatfield -- the last two survivors of the original families -- shook hands at a public ceremony dedicating a monument to six of the victims.

McCoy died Feb. 11, 1984, at age 99. He bore no grudges -- and had his burial handled by the Hatfield Funeral Home in Toler, KY.

VENGEANCE
Fred Goldman won a moral victory when a jury found O. J. Simpson liable for the death of his son Ron, but Goldman is not a happy man. Money could never fill the void in his life since Ron's death.

In his book "His Name is Ron: Our Search for Justice," Goldman writes that he has fantasies about killing O. J. - Albuquerque Journal, Feb-15-1997.
I cannot begin to feel the weight of Mr. Goldman pain, it must be unbearable. Could any father forgive his son's murder?
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

AS YOU’VE DONE TO THE LEAST OF THESE

A young lady named Sally relates an experience she had in class, given by her teacher, whom we'll call Brother Smith. She says Brother Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons. One particular day, Sally walked into class and knew they were in for another fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Brother Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry . . .and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.
Sally's girlfriend (on her right), drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend (on her left), drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of Brother Smith, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing. Sally was pleased at the overall effect she had achieved.
The class lined up and began throwing darts, with much laughter and hilarity. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Brother Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats.
As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target, Brother Smith began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus....
A complete hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced out.
Brother Smith said only these words, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." (Matthew 25:40)
No other words were necessary; the tear-filled eyes of each student focused only on the picture of Christ. The students remained in their seats even after the bell rang, then slowly left the classroom, tears streaming down their faces.

Two women were talking the other day over tea. "Did I tell you that my husband has taken up golf?" the first lady asked her friend.
"No, as a matter of fact, you didn't," her friend replied,
"How's he doing?"
"Evidently, very well," said the first lady. "He's only played three times, but his friends tell me that he's already throwing his clubs as far as men who've been playing the game for years!"

QUOTE: A closed mouth gathers no foot.

QUOTE: Anger opens the mouth and shuts the mind.

HOW TO DEALWITH PEOPLE WHO HATE YOU Don Chisholm in Pulpit Helps 10/99

Former Boston Red Sox 3^rd baseman, Wade Boggs used to hate going to Yankee Stadium. Not because of the Yankees, but because of a fan.

The guy had a seat close to the field and when the Red Sox were in town, he would torment Boggs by shouting obscenities and insults. One day, Boggs decided he’d had enough. He walked directly over to the man and said, "Hey fella, are you the guy who’s always yelling at me?" The man said, "Yeah, It’s me. What are you going to do about I?"

Wade took a new baseball out of his pocket, autographed it, tossed it to the man, and went back to the field to continue his pre-game routine. The man never yelled at Boggs again; in fact, he became one of Wad’s biggest fans at Yankee Stadium. (Romans 12:17-18)

QUOTE: It’s easy to be an angel when nobody is ruffling your feathers.

QUOTE: Bitterness is the poison we swallow, while hoping the other person dies - Skip Gray, Navigators missionary

THERE ONCE WERE TWO CATS TOO MANY Limerick Pulpit Helps 3/97 p. 8

There once were 2 cats from Kilkenny

Each thought there was one cat too many

They fought and they spit,

They clawed and they bit.

Till instead of two cats there weren't any

SELF CONTROL IN GOLF? R.Digest 9/96 p. 59

Greg took up golf. One day when he was playing even worse than usual, he decided to explain his predicament to his teenage caddy.

"I took up golf to practice self control," Greg said.

The youngster rolled his eyes and replied, "If that's the case, you should have gone in for caddying."

THE FILTH OF REVENGE R.Digest 4/96 p. 70

Race car driver Cale Yarborough's reason for not engaging in an argument with a fellow driver: "Don't ever wrestle with a pig. You'll both get dirty, but the pig will enjoy it."

QUOTE: Men are like steel. When they lose their temper, they lose their worth. - Chuck Norris

One writer told of the time that, as he was aboard an ocean liner in the Mediterranean, he observed the explosion of a volcano many miles in the distance. He said, it reminded him of gashing tongues of fire as it threw its lava into the air. "I could see the amber colored sky, recognizing that it was the result of the vast amount of materials that had been spewing out of the volcano for hours." And the he said this: "A thought came into my mind that that which I had seen on the outside of the volcano had been in the heart of its very being for many many years."

The worst tempered people I've ever met were people who knew they were wrong. - Wilson Mizner

Anger blows out the lamp of the mind. - Robert G. Ingersoll

THE POWER OF ANGER Russ Blowers in The Lookout 9,4,1994 p. 9

In an average week, 50,000 people will visit the famous Minirth-Meier Clinics for therapy. Seventy-five percent of these clients, says Dr. Meier, will have either clinical depression or some sort of anxiety disorder. The other 25 percent will be a variety of fifty other problems. "Ninety-five percent of all cases of depression are caused by repressed anger toward an abuser or toward oneself," says Meier. A majority anxiety disorders involve a fear of becoming aware of our unconscious repressed anger.

ON THE TONGUE Angola Ch of Christ 2/16/95 Copied; "A Deadly Mouth" by Don Sharp.

According to the Guiness Book of World Records the longest fangs found on any snake belonged to a Gaboon viper of tropical Africa. The six-foot-long specimen's fangs measured 1.96 inches. The Gaboon viper is, as one would expect, deadly poisonous and known to commit suicide by biting itself. A Gaboon viper belonging to the Philadelphia Zoological Gardens was found dead with its fangs deeply embedded in its own back. What nature had provided the reptile for its protection was used by it to destroy itself. I'd say the ol' boy didn't appreciate the lethal quality of his own mouth!

Most of us know some people like that; they may not have two-inch fangs, but they have tongues that are "full of deadly poison". With their mouths they bless God and with the same mouths they curse men. That is a terrible inconsistency, and James says that such should not be so. In observing such people though, I'm pretty well convinced they, like the Gaboon viper are just not aware of the lethal qualities of their own mouths.

Do you suppose that the bitter envying and strife in people's hearts - the poison which causes them to strike out at others - could at times turn inward and destroy one's own self? There's no doubt about it, many a person with a lethal mouth, like the Gaboon viper, has struck out at others and in so doing had bitten himself.

QUOTE: Unfair Advantage: Never wrestle with a pig, you both get all dirty... and the pig likes it.

I read a story about the natives of Polynesia who spend a great deal of time fighting. They have a custom for remembering everything someone ever did to them. They take something that belongs to each offender and hangs it in the roof of their hut. Then as they lie in their bed each night, they remember each person and try to decide how to get even.

The Bible teaches us to replace evil thoughts with Love. "Love keeps no score of wrongs." (I Cor. 13:6 New English Bible)

THE BITTER RATTLESNAKE E. Stanley Jones as quoted R. Digest 12/81 p.175

A rattlesnake, if cornered, will sometimes become so angry it will bite itself. That is exactly what the harboring of hate and resentment against others is - a biting of oneself. We think we are harming others in holding these spites and hates, but the deeper harm is to ourselves.

QUOTE: "The longest odds in the world are those against getting even."

EISENHOWER'S MOTHER'S ADVICE 4/91 p.136

Abilene, Kansas: October 1900. Halloween night, and ten year old Dwight Eisenhower was so angry his face turned crimson. His older brothers were allowed to go trick or treating, but he had to stay home. "You're too young to go out," his father, David, told him. Young Ike burst into tears, ran into the yard and began punching the trunk of an apple tree.

He later recalled: "My dad suddenly had me by the collar and I was getting a tanning." Then he sent Ike to bed. The boy's mother Ida, came into his room with a word of scriptural advice: "He that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city." When he was 76, Ike wrote: "I have always looked back on that conversation as one of the most valuable moments of my life."

IN HIS PRESENCE Pulpit Helps, June 1991

La Fontaine, chaplain of a Prussian regiment, preached a plain sermon on the sin of hasty temper. Next day, the major, a very passionate man, told him he had used his official liberty rather too freely. La Fontaine admitted that he had thought of him, but had no intention of being personal. "Well, it's of no use," said the major. "I have a hasty temper, and I cannot help it, and I cannot control it. It is impossible."

The next Sunday, La Fontaine preached upon self deception and the excuses which men are inclined to make. "Why," said he, "a man will declare that it is impossible for him to control his temper, when he very well knows that, were the same provocation to happen in the presence of his sovereign, he not only could, but would control himself. And yet he dares to say that the continual presence of the King of Kings imposes upon him neither restraint nor fear!"

The next day, the major again accosted him. "You were right yesterday, chaplain," he said humbly. "Hereafter, whenever you see me in danger of falling, remind me of the King." Let us always remember we are in the presence of Christ. Surely, we would not wish to let our passions loose in the presence of the King, would we?

ONE OF THE 7 DEADLY SINS - "Homemade" (Pamphlet) 1992 Frederick Buechner.

Of the 7 deadly sins, anger is probably the most fun. To lick your wounds, smack your lips, over grievances long past, roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, savor the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back - is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.

HUMILIATION LEADS TO DEATH from Anthony Campolo's "Seven Deadly Sins"

A news story in the Philadelphia area told of a man who killed a driver who cut in front of him on the expressway. The murderer explained that traffic had slowed as it was funneled into a single lane. He claimed that he had waited in line for more than a quarter of an hour until he could begin to enter into the flow of traffic. Just as he was about to do so, another car passed him on the shoulder of the highway and cut in front of his automobile. As though that were not enough, the driver laughed and made an obscene gesture at him. It was too much for him to handle, and when traffic later stopped because of congestion, he removed a gun from his glove compartment, got out of his car, walked up to the side of the car of the man who had taunted him and shot him to death. The injustice of what had happened was bad enough, but being laughed at and taunted was more humiliation than he could tolerate.

HER EX-SISTER Pulpit Resource, Jan-Mar 1992, p.14

Two sisters spent the day fighting. That evening they prepared for bed, still mad at each other. As usual, they knelt beside their beds for their prayers. "Dear God," the 8 yr. old began, "Bless Daddy and Mommy, bless our cat and dog." Then she stopped. Her mother gently prodded, "Didn't you forget somebody?" She glared across the bed at her 6 yr. old sister and added, "And, oh yes, God bless my ex-sister."

CHILDREN'S INNOCENT ANGER Leo Buscalgia "Born for Love" p. 202

The children were arguing over some insignificant things. "You're stupid!" one said to the other. "Well, so are you!" the other shouted. "Not as stupid as you!" the 1st responded. "Oh, yeah?" the 2nd replied, "That's what you think."

When Buscalia passed by the playground not more than 10 minutes later, these 2 children were playing together again, having forgotten the whole thing. "No brooding, no wounded egos, no blame, no dredging up the past, no recriminations," Buscalgia writes. There it was, a brief and honest exchange of angry feelings, an even briefer cooling off period, and all was forgiven. "Children are certainly much more forgiving than adults," Buscalgia concludes. "Somewhere in the process of growing up we seem to have become experts at holding grudges, cradling fragile egos and unforgiving natures."

TRAMPLED RIGHTS Basic Youth Seminar, Bill Gothard

A college boy asked Bill to help him contain his anger and for 3 years, Bill had tried to help - with no apparent results. Finally, Bill asked the boy to bring his father and mother along with him to see if their something they could do together to resolve the problem. When they arrived, it became apparent that the entire family had a problem with anger and needed help. Bill asked them to go into his conference room and sit around a round table. Stalling for time until he could figure out how to deal with their argumentative spirit, Bill had them take several pieces of paper and list the following:

1. List what it would take to have a successful family (their answers reflected finger pointing)

2. List the last times you got angry (reflected which rights they had felt they were denied)

3. List the rights they felt they had as members of the family (usually tied directly to the list of angry emotions they felt)

He then pointed out that if they were going to deal with their anger, they first had to deal with their "rights." Turning to Philippians 2:5ff, Bill pointed out that Jesus gave up his rights to Godhood when he became a man and that they needed to do so also using a six step plan:

1. They were to TRANSFER their RIGHTS to God (these rights did have value so they weren't "throwing them away.")

2. They were to FULFILL their RESPONSIBILITIES - teaching the children to be respecting of authority, but give away right to be "respected" and concentrate on earning that response.

3. BALANCE THEIR EXPECTATIONS - God gives back their rights as privileges - they needed to learn thanksgiving.

4. GIVE UP rights and personal ownership.

5. ACCEPT them back as privileges.

6. USE further ANGER to detect unyielded rights. (Luke 9:23)

They then put their papers in the center of the table and dedicated the pile as an "altar" to God offered up to Him for Him to use as He saw fit. Repeated visits began to reflect fewer and fewer problems.

DAGOBERT D. RUNES from A DICTIONARY OF THOUGHT: R.Digest 7/77 p. 55

Enemies are not those who hate us, but rather those whom we hate.

THE PAPERBOY WHO WAS PLAGUED Uncle John's 4th Bathroom Reader, p. 48

In 1940, A. Douglas Thompson, a Tennessee paper boy, was delivering his papers when he was attacked and bitten by a neighborhood dog. Thompson had it taken to a pound. It was released to its owner a few days later.

But the owner of the dog, Gertrude Jamieson, was so upset at Thompson for impounding her pet that she began harassing him with obscene phone calls several times a day. She pet it up - for 43 years. Finally in 1983, at the age of 85, she stopped calling Thompson (who by now was age 59) - but not because she had forgiven him. The only reason she stopped calling was because she had suffered a minor stroke and was confined to a hospital room without a telephone.

QUOTE: "Hate is a prolonged form of suicide." Doug V. Steere, from Dimensions of Prayer.

QUOTE: "Too often we seek justice for just us" James Thom

LOVE DISTANT RELATIVE R.Digest 5/75 p. 117

My wife has a habit of writing notes of reminder to me, which she signs: "Love, Wife." One night, we had quite a disagreement, which was left unresolved. Next morning, I found a familiar note beside the coffeepot, but it was signed: "Love, Distant Relative."

QUOTABLE QUOTES - R.Digest MAY 1974

If a small thing has the power to make you angry, does that not indicate something about your size

VENGENCE LETS AIR OUT r.digest January 1969

Hammond, Inc., makes an inflatable globe, which is shipped deflated. A large order sent to the United Arab Republic was temporarily impounded by customs agents who snipped out their enemy to the east. Then, when people bought the globes and tried to blow them up, they wouldn't work. All the air leaked out of Israel.

ALLIGATOR REFUSES TO BACK DOWN - THE SWORD AND THE STAFF 1994

We are told how the ancient Indians in Florida trapped the alligator, the massive tail being used as a very meaty food source. Two rows of very heavy stacks made from rough poles were driven into the earth, forming a duct like conduit wide enough for an alligator to enter but at the same time narrow enough to make it impossible for him to turn around. The alligator was lured by bait into the conduit, then he would soon find he could go no farther. And since alligators will not back up, only go forward, he would be trapped. The stacks, while not allowing an exit, at the same time made it so that he couldn't do anything else either. Thus, hemmed in, and utterly refusing to back up or back down, he was caught in a death trap. Although struggling and floundering as spears pierced him, he was the victim of his own doings and obstinacy. He would not back down.

And how like human beings is this situation. Anger gets us into trouble, and then pride keeps us there. Having been foolishly brought into the conduit of a very difficult situation, we refuse to admit that we are wrong. We make strong assertions, which may prove to be wrong, but we refuse to back down. Thus caught in the trap of our own doings any obstinacy, we flounder there.

PRESIDENT GARFIELD DIES OF PROBING Gary Johnson Spring '94 Revival

President Garfield was assassinated shortly after taking office and the bullet lodged in his body. Doctors struggled to remove the bullet from the President's body - even inviting Alexander Graham Bell to the White House bringing his new invention, the telephone, in the hopes that the magnets in his new invention would be strong enough to find and remove the bullet.

They kept probing and sticking metal down into the wound trying to extricate the lead from Garfield's body. He died about six months later - not from the assassin's bullet, but from infection caused by the constant probing, sticking, and looking for the bullet.

In our relationships with others, often what passes for love is little more than a neat business transaction. People are kind to us, so we repay them with equal consideration. When they treat us unjustly, our negative response is really what they asked for. Everything is so balanced, so fair, so logical with this eye-for-an-eye and tooth-for-a-tooth kind of justice. But Christian love never settles for only what's reasonable. It insists on giving mercy as well as justice. It breaks the chain of logical reactions.

General Robert E. Lee was asked what he thought of a fellow officer in the Confederate Army who had made some derogatory remarks about him. Lee rated him as being very satisfactory. The person who asked the question seemed perplexed. "General," he said, "I guess you don't know what he's been saying about you." "I know," answered Lee. "But I was asked my opinion of him, not his opinion of me!"

Clarence Darrow, a famous criminal lawyer, once said, "Everyone is a potential murderer. I have not killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction out of obituary notices."

Hatred is a joy killer, and it often leads to overt murder. (cf. I John 3:15)

FAULL ON SPEAKING AGAINST ANOTHER (check references)

Proverbs tells us that "the mouth that speaks evil hates him" against whom it speaks. Faull asks someone who has nothing good to say about another what they did against the person they are deriding.

Anger, he says is often due to being no longer sure of oneself. Saul was a man who was "small in his own eyes." He didn't have a good opinion of himself and led to his desire for vengeance. David, by contrast, responded to an opportunity to avenge himself by saying "Am I not the King of Israel." Jesus himself washed the feet of his followers because he "knew all things were delivered into his hand."