TEMPLE TEMPER

October 12, 2010Read: Proverbs 22

"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." --Proverbs 22:24-28

Jesus was love. He healed the sick, caused the blind to see and fed the masses.

Jesus was Lord. He hung from the cross, only to defeat death both spiritually and literally.

But Jesus was also man. He bled, he cried, he loved.

With His humanity came another very human trait: anger. One of the most famous anger-fueled outbursts in recorded history was the scene He caused at the temple in Jerusalem in the days before His crucifixion. Upset that the moneychangers that had more or less converted the temple in Jerusalem into an early-A.D. Wall Street, He shouted, threw coins and turned over tables. This depiction of a enraged Jesus is a stark contradiction to the gentle Savior that most of us like to think about but it's important to remember that his anger was purposeful and divine while ours is often petty and misguided.

In a society rife with stress-filled workplaces, conflict-riddled homes, polarizing political debate and seemingly interminable commutes, it is not uncommon for us to give in to our temper -- to lash out at those around us or have a Jesus-at-the-temple kind of outburst. But we are taught in Proverbs and hundreds of other places in scripture that anger is a destructive and polluting force in our lives. In anger, we tend to exhibit the least Christ-like parts of ourselves. Our tongues sharpen, but our sensitivity to those around us dulls. We sling harsh words or worse, often leaving a shameful wake of hurt and despair.

James 1:20 reminds us that man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. As with other sin, our goal should always be to get better everyday -- to systematically stamp out behavior that can harm us (or those around us). It's not to say that you won't have a fleeting moment of fury the next time you are wronged, but how you deal with it (Ephesians 4:26-27) means everything, both to those around you and in the eyes of the Lord.

--E.V.

OBESITY: AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD The high cost of America's weight problem in the workplace

Those who struggle with their weight sometimes come to the conclusion (read: rationalization) that obesity is a "victimless" crime -- that they are somehow only hurting themselves. Well, there's a mounting body of research that is proving just the opposite -- that rising obesity numbers are costing our country billions each year. A new study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, states that the U.S. economy suffers a hit of over $70 billion as a result of an obese work force. This number is measured by a variety of factors including lost work days and down productivity.

For the full story on the Duke University study, click here.

>> SECURITY THREAT: To find out how America's weight problem has become a national security issue, visit Mission: Readiness.

>> PRAYFIT HEADLINES: PrayFit founder Jimmy Pena spoke to the Tyler Paper to promote his upcoming guest-speaking appearance. Read the full article here.