Senior Living - April 8

How to stay calm in the midst of stress

A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. - Proverbs 15:18

A story is told about a little league coach who pulled one of his young players aside and asked him, “Do you understand what cooperation is?” The boy nodded yes.

Then the coach asked, “Do you understand that what matters is that we win together or lose together as a team?” The little boy again nodded yes.

“So,” the coach continued, “when a strike is called or you’re out at first, you don’t argue or curse the umpire. Do you understand that?” Again, the little boy nodded.

“Good,” said the coach. “Now go over there and explain it to your mother.”

It happens, doesn’t it? In the heat of a moment, when emotions are flying and tempers are hot, it’s tempting to sometimes lose your patience and just unleash on whoever is around you. And what’s really interesting is that quite often, it doesn’t even matter what the issue is!

But God has a better plan for you when it comes to managing your temper. As today’s verse says, people who are patient and not easily angered don’t just benefit themselves; they calm others around them as well.

So when you’re tempted to lose it, ask God to give you the patience to react differently. When you do, you’ll notice that your overall stress level will decrease as you foster an environment of patience among those around you!

Prayer Challenge

Pray and ask God to give you the strength to react calmly when stress hits and to foster an environment of patience with those around you.

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