The Anger of Today is the Remorse of Tomorrow
Paul Lai
English Translation: Linda Yang

My dear brothers, take note of this:
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
-James 1:19
"Anger" and "Danger" are only one letter apart.
A survey performed in the Greater Taipei area by the Dong Foundation of Taiwan found that most people become angry most easily with their family and most often with their co-workers. They become angry the most frequently at home, followed by the school or workplace. In short, most people are angry most easily with people they are close with-family and friends. Among those surveyed, 62 per cent were angry at least once a week; 15 per cent were angry every day.
There is a story travelling around on the email circuit that tells about a university student who likes cars. He and his father often flip excitedly through car magazines, discussing various makes and models. He really thought that his father would give him a car as a graduation present. However, on the day of his graduation, his father gave him a wrapped present-it was a Bible. He was disappointed and angry. Didn't his father promise to give him a car? How come it's a Bible? Furious, he ran away from home and never spoke to them again. Years later, the young man built a successful career. One day, he received a telegram, informing him of his father's death from a heart attack. When he returned home to sort out his father's belongings, his mother calmly handed him a Bible. She motioned for him to open it. Inside, to his horror, he found a car key with a note that read, "It's been paid for!"
You can imagine the young man's reaction when he saw his father's handwritten note. He must have felt extremely guilty and regretful, but no amount of regret or guilt can erase the pain that he had caused. His father's wish was for him to seek first the kingdom of God, and then the car would be his.

Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly.
-Proverbs 13:16

A saying goes like this: Anger is momentary insanity; therefore you must control your emotions, or else your emotions will control you. When anger rises up, one becomes unreasonable, like a wild horse broken free of its reins or a boat tossed on an angry sea with no one at its helm. Human relationships between husband and wife, siblings, parents and children, and relatives often sever completely because of the pain inflicted by unchecked anger and lack of emotional control. Many things that should not have been said are blurted out when a person is consumed by his/her anger. Frankly, anger is foolish, only resulting in regret. A study has shown that 90% of angry confrontations are caused by a hostile tone of voice. A gentle and respectful reply can diffuse anger. Then, we can learn how to accommodate others.

今天的怒氣是明日的懊悔
賴建鵬 着
英譯: 楊光(真理報加西版2007年4月號)
「我親愛的弟兄們、這是你們所知道的．但你們各人要快快的聽、僈僈的說、慢慢的動怒．」雅各書1:19

憤怒與危險只有一字之隔。（憤怒是anger ，危險是danger，只差一個d ）最容易生氣的對像是家人。

台灣董氏基金會曾對大台北地區做過一項調查，發現受訪民眾最容易生氣的對像是家人，每天都會生氣的對象則是同事，而最容易發脾氣的地方是家裡，其次是學校或工作職場。總之，最容易生氣的對象不是親人就是熟人；其中有六成二的人，每星期至少會生氣一次，甚至有一成五的民眾是天天生氣的。

在電子郵件上有一則故事， [述及一位大學畢業生很喜歡一輛跑車，父子兩人還興致勃勃地翻不少汔聲車雜誌，論不同的品牌，他深信父親會送一輛跑車給他，作為畢業禮物。那知畢典禮那天，父親卻送洽給他一包禮物，打開來竟是一本聖經。他又失望又發怒，父親不是答應要送他汽車嗎？怎麼樣變成一本聖經了？憤怒之下，奪門而出，也聽不見身後父母的呼叫聲，他離家出走，此後再也沒有與家裡連絡。多年後，他事業有成，一天突然收到電報，說他父親因心臟病發作而過世。 他返家整理父親的遺物，母親靜靜的交給他一本聖經，母親示意要他打開，他驚愕的發現在封底有一個汽車的鑰匙，一張單子上寫着：「車款已付清！」。 ]

你可想象，這個青年人看了父親親筆的幾個字後的反應是什麼？他一定是強烈的痛悔和自責，只是再多的痛悔和自責也彌補不了所造成的傷害。父親的美意，是要他先尋求神的國和祂的義，這輛車就是他的了。

「愚妄人惱怒時顯露，通達人能忍辱藏羞，不輕易發怒的大有聰明」(箴言13：16)

有一句這樣說：「惱怒是片刻的瘋狂，所以你要控制情緒，否則情緒控制了你」惱怒一發，往往失去理智，有如脫韁的野馬，怒海中無人掌舵的船隻。人際關係，夫妻，兄弟姊妹，父母子女，親友，往往因失去控制情緒而發怒，帶來了創傷甚至斷絕了關係，因為人發怒，頭腦便怒氣沖昏，於是許多不該講的話就衝口而出。實在的，忿怒起於愚昧，終於悔恨。 有一個研究指出百分之九十的衝突源自語氣欠佳，所以要用溫柔、敬畏的心回答，方能平息怒氣。更進一步便去學習遷就人。