Sunday, January 26, 2020

Trigger Happy

John Rambo ~ The poster child of trigger happy people


Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5: 26 NKJV

We've all met them, those people we know whose main purpose in life it seems is to bring anger and disappointment wherever it is they go.  Indeed, I know more than a few of these challenging head cases myself.  Some remain close among my Christian friends while others are, for obvious reasons, kept at a distance.  One of these acquaintances, a coworker, I've taken to nicknaming trigger man due to his uncanny ability to draw out anger in those around him.  Now, I will say that he is not always such a harbinger of disappointment, but he definitely has his moments in the sun.  The scriptures tell us that we are to not go about provoking those around us, but all too often we do just the opposite.  Don't get the idea that just because I am writing about those trigger happy doom bringers I know that I myself have not been one myself from time to time.  At least I admit to it.  There are those times where I wear my emotions on my sleeve and say whatever comes to mind.  The trouble with this is that it is speech that is unseasoned.  What is unseasoned speech?  The very same words that the scripture warns us not to engage in.  Words that have not passed the test of our own reasoning.  Make no mistake, we all have that ability within us to season our own words so that they are agreeable to those around us.  However, what good is that when we want to make our point known?  What good is seasoned speech when we're so consumed with making another person pay for some conceived grievance we might have?  Well, I've been there more than a time or two.  It is exactly in these heated moments, before that seasoning is applied, that we need to step back and consider our own actions.  What harm will our unseasoned words bring?  Will they ultimately put to rest what it is we're seeking to rectify?  Probably not.  More than likely, our words will only seek to bring more volatility to the situation.  Now, there are definitely those around us who relish the thought of bringing anger and disappointment to those around them.  It is to these people that I give proper distance.  For if I were to engage everyone who sought to bring me down, how might that affect my own attitude and outlook?  More than likely I'd land smack dab in the same rut they were in, fighting it out in a gutter war.

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 1: 19 - 20 NKJV

I cannot speak much to this post if I don't refer to what it actually means to be trigger happy.  Being trigger happy is that police officer who draws his weapon and seeks to resolve most any situation with force and violence.  Being trigger happy is the soldier who shoots indiscriminately, not caring what victim he hits.  I associate being trigger happy with soldiers of the German Wehrmacht of the second world war.  This is exactly why we rules of engagement.  Can you see why being trigger happy with our own words is not a good thing?  James gave us a pretty good model to follow when dealing with those who would seek to trigger us.  Swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath {James 1:19}.  In other words...seasoned speech.  When you think about it, those of us who come off as looking calm, cool and collected most of the time are indeed admired.  It baffles me how people can see meek Christians as purveyors of harsh words, but we certainly don't own the title of treating others badly.  That's just not who we are.  In fact, that's not the person who ANY of us are inside.  Now, before you pat yourself on the back for not being a trigger happy word slinger, think back to who it is you really are.  If you're a Christian, you most likely know a little about Jesus.  You might even see Jesus as your "get out jail free card" when it comes to our own harsh words.  The apostle Paul dealt with this question as well in Romans.  His answer...Certainly not {Romans 6:1}.  For Jesus has never been a get out of jail free card.  He is the one who defeated sin {Romans 6:6-11}.  So much so that Paul tells us that we should now consider ourselves DEAD...TO...SIN {Romans 6:11}.  So, Jesus is not our opportunity to behave badly...but our opportunity to know we no longer need to.  When we're trigger happy, we're stuck in the knowledge of this world.  However, when our speech is well seasoned and thoughtful, it is Christ Jesus in us whom we are exhibiting {Galatians 2:20}.  Those who are trigger happy may be hard to deal with, but Christ can indeed work through us when we are quick to hear, slow to speak and even slower to wrath.

What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not!  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

~Scott~

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