HAVE YOU EVER...had road rage?

What is it about cars?  These 2 ton transportation vehicles are a necessity.  I use to find driving therapeutic.  Then we moved to the city.  Do you think they had road rage when people were driving horse drawn wagons?

My husband becomes a totally different person when he gets behind the wheel of a car.  He is usually one of the most patient people I know.  Now, 95% of the time that we argue, is in the car.  It just makes both of us so impatient.  You always want to be going faster.  The other car is always the irresponsible and reckless driver.  And why do I have to stop at every light?  One of my husband’s famous sayings is, “We can put a man on the moon, but they can’t get traffic lights to change when they need to!”

Please don’t think that I am putting my husband down here.  He is a wonderful, godly man who loves me.  He loves me in spite of my anger issues.  I have the self control of a bull in a china closet.  Believe me!  I have my own patience issues.  I often tell my own children, “Patience is a virtue!”; with a high pitched happy voice.  Hypocrite!

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these:  anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.  Colossians 3:8

In my Bible, Colossians 3 is titled “Rules for Holy Living.”  Paul is speaking to God’s chosen people.  As followers of Christ, sometimes we forget all of the “rules” we need to be following because we are to prideful to admit that God calls us to “Holy Living.”  We are “good” people.  We don’t break any of the “major” 10 commandments.  God doesn’t expect us to be perfect! Blah!  Blah!  Blah!  More lies we tell ourselves.

The biggest lie I tell myself when I am confronted with my husband in the car is that I am allowed to have my own feelings and spew them out all over the car as well.  Yes, we are human.  God wants us to have feelings, but God also delights in our self control.  Especially, when the kids are always in the back seat listening.  I am also really good at, “Honey, you need to relax and have more patience.”  This in my holier than thou voice.

I encourage you to read all of Colossians 3.  Remember that we are imperfect in an imperfect world, but that is no excuse.  We are still God’s chosen people.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  Colossians 3:15

HAVE YOU EVER…shown real patience?

Isaiah 29:13, Philippians 2:3