Love is not easily angered

If I speak in the tongues Or languages of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹²For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13, NIV

Dear Christian,

I’m writing this while sitting on the floor of my girls’ bedroom. ‘A’ is screaming and has been for 20 min because she’s overly tired and won’t just lay down. This is not the first time. In fact, this has been the norm for most of her 1.5 years. I’m starting to think not sleeping is just a personality trait. 

I’m tired. I worked all day, and she does this every.single.night. Tonight, I yelled. It was too much and nothing else was working. So maybe yelling would do the trick? It didn’t.

You want to know something freeing? Paul doesn’t say ‘Love is never angry’. He says ‘Love is not easily angered’. We are called to be slow to anger. Not to never be angry. In those moments of anger, we are to be careful not to sin. 

I’m not saying we should use this as a loop hole. I still shouldn’t have yelled at A. Honestly, I can’t think of a single time it worked in correcting her behaviors. Most of the time, even, she thinks it’s funny. But I do want to keep in mind that sometimes, anger is warranted. It’s what we do in that anger that should point to Jesus. 

A ‘hot head’ often makes snap judgments, looks for vindication, and doesn’t give second chances. True love avoids that. 

How can you show love to someone when you’re angry?

With love (after calming breaths),
Ashley