Foolish Temperament

I grew up with a “short fuse” when it comes to temperament. I could get mad in a microsecond and go off on somebody or about something that I didn’t like or didn’t go the way I wanted it to.  Over the years, with the Lords help, I’ve been able to bring that under His control. People who know me now can’t imagine my quick temper. (I do need to offer a disclaimer because my kids have seen those weak moments.) In other words, I still do battle with self-control in this area as well as others.   Solomon has some wise council in this area.  Check this out….

 15 Fools will believe anything,

       but the wise think about what they do.

 16 Wise people are careful and stay out of trouble,

       but fools are careless and quick to act.

 17 Someone with a quick temper does foolish things,

       but someone with understanding remains calm.

 18 Fools are rewarded with nothing but more foolishness,

       but the wise are rewarded with knowledge. (Proverbs 14:15-18 NCV)

I think it was somewhere around my freshman year of college at Johnson University (known then as Johnson Bible College) that something started happening inside of me. The Lord started mellowing my personality to help me see just how trivial some of the things that set me off really were.  I had a friend who was the most easy going person in the world until he got on the basketball court, then his temperament changed and he had a “short fuse” about everything it seemed.  The Lord did work in his heart and changed him too. He’s being used in ministry for the past 30 years!

God can take my foolish characteristics and shape them into something good and useful for His kingdom.  When I make room in my heart, the Holy Spirit does things that I can’t explain in person or on paper.  With the Holy Spirit in me, I feel like I’m wiser and much more calm in general.  I still have my moments but they are fewer and farther apart.  I’m thankful that the Lord can use people like me and shape me and mold me to His liking.

Pressing On!

Dwayne