Uggggh!

 

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (Proverbs 15:1-4 ESV).

 

Well, the title today has a double meaning. First, it signals my feelings of frustration; and second, it gives a clue to the reason for the frustration. “Ugg” is the brand name of a shoe which Mary wanted me to order for her online. She received a gift card to a very well-known department store for Christmas and since the nearest location is in Dallas, we decided to order online. Getting to the site was easy enough, however, completing an order was next to impossible. After several attempts, being locked out in creating an account, and being practically ignored on the “chat line” I decided I needed a live person who speaks English to make the order. I did find a phone number and calling it I actually got to a very nice person who could take my order. With minimal frustration (most people talk a lot faster than I listen) the order is now on its way.

 

That reminded me of our reading today. I was looking for the direction to go with Morning Devotionals and it seemed like a perfect topic for our time. Wisdom in our relationships is essential. One of the most destructive behaviors in our relationships is acting negatively in our “anger.” Just think about a time when someone made you angry. May­be, they cut you off in traffic. Perhaps they made a rude comment on social media. Or maybe someone made you feel stupid, and you were embarrassed in front of your peers. In any of these situations, it’s easy to fire back a defensive response. But if we act out in anger, we will only make the situation worse. Our sinful nature wants to get back at the person who has offended us, but that is not the wise approach.

 

Our reading today points us to the way of Jesus, who told his disciples, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). This is one of the few times Jesus listed attributes of himself. He is gentle and humble in heart. As Jesus also showed, there is a place for anger in situations where God is being mocked or injustice is being allowed (cf. Mark 11:15-17), but those moments are few and far between. And as Paul reminds us, “In your anger do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26; Psalm 4:4). That’s the way Jesus operates. The next time someone makes you angry or frustrated, respond with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Take a breath and remember Uggs are not worth Ugggghs!