Rising Irritation

The other day I was getting so frustrated with things around me not working they way they were supposed to. The refrigerator wasn't cooling correctly. An order I made online didn't come correctly. We were mischarged on our cellphone bill. I spent a good part of the day fixing things. By the end of the day, I'd had it. I was so angry, some expletives surfaced when I started to text and autocorrect was doing everything but correcting. Then I took it out on Brad. He was not at fault for any of the above things, but in my frustration, my snippy little comments landed on the love of my life. In grace, he walked away and patiently waited for me to calm down. Right before I went to bed, I wrapped my arms around him and asked him to forgive me. "I knew you would come back to hug me. I was waiting. I just knew it," he said. How I love this man. And what an idiot I was. He should not have had to be the brunt of that.

Now before you think this is one-sided, Brad has done the very same thing to me when faced with bizarre circumstances. That doesn't make either of us right. It's ridiculous. It's honestly shameful. Sometimes I think the evil one lurks right behind us encouraging us to take out life's woes on the one who means the most. But when we do that, it's like verbal daggers to the heart. It's uncalled for, unnecessary, hurtful and ludicrous. When you feel the irritation rising in you, what should you do?

Pray. Recite Scripture. Walk away from the annoyance. If our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, we are subjecting it to some crazy stuff in our anger. Why not let the Holy Spirit rule instead?

You will be exasperated repeatedly in your marriage, possibly even at your spouse. And you can respond the way the evil one, the father of lies, wants you to or the way our Father, who loves us deeply, wants us to. It just takes some refocusing and self-control. Don't let your beloved be your punching bag. Sincerely work on your efforts to display Godly attributes, even in the frustrating times. So that you don't have to go back later and apologize.

Discussion: What are some things that frustrate you? What are some positive ways you've handled annoying situations? Have you ever taken out your frustration on your beloved?

Prayer: Lord God, please forgive us for those times when circumstances incite us to sin. Father, we want to be Yours completely and reflect who You are. Please help us stay centered on You and not hurt those closest to us. In Jesus we pray, Amen.