I’ve been thinking about anger lately probably prompted by a Bible reading about Jesus : And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
Mark 3:4-6

Jesus’ anger is so much more holy than mine.

I got angry at my boss today. He’d asked me to write a synopsis of our quarterly financial statement for the Board, to “show them how much I really know about this stuff”. I thought it was strange, almost like having to “prove” that I know the finances of the company. I’ve been there 19 months. I better know the finances.

So, I did as he asked and emailed it to him. He came and told me it was “really” good but had a few comments for me. He emailed it back–his editing reads like the Beatitudes in a RED LETTER edition of the Bible. Boy I was ticked. The worst of it was that he and I both know a CEO (Chuck) who edits all his staffs’ work just like this. I’d even mentioned it how irritated it had made me when I worked for him and that I’d pretty much just stopped trying to develop my report for him, knowing he’d just re-write it anyway. These weren’t grammatical or spelling errors. These are stylistic differences.

He came over later and asked if I’d had a chance to review his suggestions. I responded that I had and that I wasn’t in the mood to speak with him about it. I told him that the first thing I thought when I saw his changes was that Chuck had edited the paper. And then I did something else. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. The thought occurred to me that he had not meant to be like Chuck. So, I said to him, “I’m pretty sure that being like Chuck is not one of your goals in life.” My boss had not tried to hurt my feelings. Yes, he had, but that was not his intention. And so, rather than barf on him my anger, I felt calm and level and not really so very angry anymore.

Lord Jesus, please help me to always see people this way–not intentionally wanting to hurt me. It happens, but Lord help me to give the people in my life the benefit of the doubt. And help me as I forgive their transgressions, to recognize my own and ask for forgiveness too.