As they say, “There is a first time for everything.” I had my first experience with road rage. I’ve read about it, seen the results on the news, and I’ve even seen the reels on social media. I used to think it was entertaining. Not anymore. I won’t go into the details, but suffice it to say, I almost got into an accident on the freeway because of someone else’s aggressive driving.
Here’s the revealing thing that happened to me. Even though it wasn’t my fault, the amount of anger that surfaced in me both surprised me and scared me. I thought I had control over my emotions. I thought my maturity would win the day, but it didn’t. Fortunately, I didn’t “act out” with aggression of my own. But my thoughts were consumed with figuring out the ways I could get back at them and somehow be vindicated.
Then it hit me, “I’m no different.” The center of the universe still revolves around me. The heart of sin is selfishness. I’m still selfish. I’m still arrogant. I still have ”what’s in it for me kind of thinking?” The bottom line is “it never works!” You’ll never be satisfied or content if you constantly put yourself on the throne of your life.
So, here’s what I did. I took a deep breath. I confessed my “stinkin thinkin” to God. I went to my favorite coffee shop and got an iced coffee. Thanked God it’s done. I asked God to protect me and guide my thoughts in the future. And wrote a blog about it. Very therapeutic. The Bible teaches that while God experiences righteous anger, human anger, especially when uncontrolled, does not reflect God’s character. Specifically, James 1:20 states that “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God”.