The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable. James 3:17.

Maturity is the (learned) art of managing the 'three As' anger, aggression, and authority. We grow into maturity: it is not arrived at instantly. Albert Einstein observed, 'The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.'

The best antidote for anger - even that rare commodity, righteous anger - is to develop the spiritual fruit of patience. Patience is the Christ-like alternative to flight or fight when faced with something which makes us mad. Patience encourages us to take the time to interrupt our busy lives to assist the wounded traveler on the road. True patience helps us to enter the thick of life and get in touch with true realities outside us and within us.

So help me to enter actively into life and to bear some of the suffering within and around me, Lord. Help me to develop the kind of patience which is the capacity to see, hear, touch, taste, and smell as fully as possible the inner and outer events of my life. Amen......

DEVELOPING CHRISTIAN CHARACTER (2)

The wisdom from above is... gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. James 3:17.

Aggression is offensive; gentle, strong assertiveness is the habit of mature people. They know who they are, what they believe, where they are going, and yet respect the rights and feelings of those who differ with them.

Power is the ability or capacity to act or perform effectively. It is the strength or force to make something happen, get things done. Authority, on the other hand, is power invested by an organization in a person to command, enforce laws, exact obedience. To be 'compliant' is to act in accordance with another's command, request, demand, rule, or wish; whether stated or implied. It's a disposition or tendency to yield to others. Power may be used for good or evil. So may authority. Compliance can be good or evil too: sometimes we should be assertive rather than compliant when asked to do an evil thing.

Lord, may I be disciplined in terms of anger, aggression and authority - even when these go against the grain of my impulses, or even when this requires giving up control and entering into unknown territory. Amen.