The Skyliner

Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Opinion

Cause and effect. It is hard to think of terms in physics as being a part of life. So, let me give you an example.

Suppose you are going along, minding your own business. And someone gives you a rude gesture.

If you are like me, your first impulse would be to return the gesture, but seeing as how you are a good Christian, what you should do is go on your merry way and forget about it.

At the same time, you have been having a bad week and "What Would Jesus Do?" was not the first thing that popped into your head, even though you just came out of a Bible study with your hall mates.

Many things and experiences govern our responses to external stimuli. One control could be our relationship, or the lack of one, with God. Others could be past experiences or the heartburn we get after eating pizza.

But we cannot allow circumstances, whether they be physically annoying or life-altering, to be the sole determiner of our actions. We are also a factor in our responses.

We can control how we react to situations.

If we stop to think about how to defuse the current situation, the chances are better that we may avoid something we should not say or do.

We might even realize the person we are angry at is having a bad day and has permitted his mood to be the governing factor for his reactions.

Another thing to think about is how much we care about what other people are doing.

Often, what someone did to wrong you today will not matter in two weeks, much less 15 years from now. So why worry about his behavior when I am only in control of my own?

So the next time you feel like spouting out inappropriate remarks at the guy going 20 mph in a 45 mph zone, think about if getting angry is really necessary.

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