THE PROBLEM OF THE HEART
The story goes that there was once a monk who had a short temper and was known to always “pass the buck” by blaming other monastery residents for his anger. So, he decided to move to a place of absolute solitude in a desert, thinking that if he got away from the others he could be victorious.
One morning he accidentally knocked over a pitcher of water. A few minutes later he bumped it again, and once more it fell on its side and spilled its contents. Losing his temper, the monk picked up the pitcher and hurled it to the ground. As it broke into dozens of pieces, the truth hit him: he couldn’t blame others for his flareups. The real trouble was within him.
We are all responsible for our emotions. You might smack me, but you can’t make me angry. That is my choice. That’s why Jesus could look down from the cross at His attackers and say, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.
Anger is rage at not being in control. And none of us are really in control of our lives. That’s God’s job. The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.
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