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Key Bible Verse: Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you. Think about it overnight and remain silent (Psalm 4:4). Bonus Reading: Ephesians 4:26–27, 31–32

Jim, a police officer with a difficult beat, usually ended his shift with a frustration level near 100 percent and patience near zero. He'd arrive home sullen and withdrawn—intimidating his wife and three-year-old son.

After Jim shared his struggles with a small group of men, an ex-soldier challenged him to try something that had worked for him. "Jim, don't walk in the door until you've stopped to do a 'palms down-palms up.' It's the best thing I know to get out the bad air and bring in the good."

Jim's friend suggested that he park and, sitting in his squad car, place his palms down on his thighs, close his eyes, and pray—sharing with the Lord the hurtful, anger-producing situations of that shift, and confessing his own sin. Then Jim was to turn his palms up, praising God and asking Jesus to fill him with His love, patience, and understanding as he walked in the door to see his family.

The results were dramatic. Jim's son went from standing back while his father stomped into the house, to running to Daddy's car. His wife went from worrying if things could get any worse to praising God for how much her husband had grown.

—John Trent in Christian Parenting Today

My Response: I could create some "decompression time" before arriving home by …

Thought to Apply: When angry, count to ten before you speak; if very angry, count to a hundred. —Thomas Jefferson (Third U.S. president)

Adapted from Christian Parenting Today (7-8/99) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Lord, empower me to channel my emotions so that I'm a guided missile, not a loose cannon.

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