How to Stay Calm When You're Angry

Hey, carpool crew. Maybe you're in the car, maybe you're sitting on the couch relaxing with a blanket, or maybe you are pulling on a sweatshirt before the day gets started. However you're listening, I want you to know this: I'm really glad you're here. I'm Pastor Justin and thanks for listening to Carpooling with Jesus on Pure Flix today. Our verse today is from Proverbs chapter 15, verse one: a gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. See, Solomon is teaching something really simple but also extremely powerful. This is something you'll be able to apply today. See, words don't just express emotion. They multiply it, they grow it. If someone's mad and you yell back, that is how anger grows. Now more people are getting angry, more people are frustrated. If someone says something rude and you snap at them, well, now it's a fight. Now you're both really angry. But if you answer with calm, kindness, or even silence, you can stop things from blowing up before they ever begin. See, Jesus lived this out all the time. People shouted at him, questioned him, even accused him, but he didn't explode. He didn't snap back. He answered with peace, truth, and love. This verse isn't saying you always have to feel gentle. It's saying, when anger shows up, you get to choose what happens next. Will you keep it going or will you cool it down? You don't have to match people's energy, how they're feeling. You don't have to win the argument. You can choose a gentle answer that's stronger than yelling or arguing. If Jesus saw you get blamed for something you didn't do and everyone was watching your reaction, he might quietly say, you can still choose peace. A calm answer will do more than shouting ever could. Jesus taught that peacemakers are blessed, not weak. He did that in the Sermon on the Mount. That was one of the key things he taught his followers. Let's say a friend or a sibling or a family member knocks over your big Lego set, and let's say they do it on purpose. You are boiling mad. You probably could yell, slam a door, hit a wall, maybe throw something out of anger. Or you breathe. You say, seriously, that's not cool, but I'm not gonna do this right now. Boom, anger turned down. You just took it from something that could have been an argument, something that could have been loud and angry, to relaxed. You didn't lose your temper, you didn't play the game of anger. That's what this verse is talking about. So what are some ways you can apply this today? First, pause before you respond, especially when you're angry. Second, use words that cool things down, not get things fired up so everyone's angry. And lastly, sometimes silence or a calm walk away is the wisest thing to do. People might look and be like, why are they walking away? Like, what's their problem? But you are actually bringing a solution, not a problem. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if you love today's episode, share it with a parent friend so they can discover the podcast too. Before you go, answer this question together: think of a time you got angry. What would a gentle answer have looked like in that moment?