July 21, 2026

djohnstoncc
1 day ago
4 min read

CONTROLLING OUR TEMPER

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

Colossians 3:13 NLT

TODAY’S THOUGHT

One of the most effective ways to defeat a powerful enemy in military combat is to get them to turn on one another. If you can divide the opposing army from within, they will ultimately destroy themselves.

The enemy uses this exact tactical approach in spiritual warfare against the family of God. His goal is to quietly plant seeds of offense in our hearts to create internal division. Satan knows that if he can get us hyper-focused on how we've been wronged, we will completely lose sight of God’s power, presence, and destiny for our lives.

To win the battle against the spirit of offense, we must understand four realities:

1. Human Beings Are Inherently Flawed

It is a fascinating aspect of human nature that we naturally make elaborate excuses for our own bad behavior while aggressively attacking the faults of others. If we snap at someone, we quickly blame the weather, a bad night of sleep, or our stressful schedules. But the moment someone else acts harshly toward us, we immediately label them a horrible person.

This is why Scripture commands us to “make allowance for each other’s faults.” In the original language, this phrase carries the literal meaning of “to hold back.” In the heat of conflict, we are being instructed to intentionally hold back our judgment, our criticism, and our desire to retaliate.

2. Unforgiveness Blocks the Flow of Grace

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus explicitly connects our reception of divine forgiveness to our release of human forgiveness (Matthew 6:12-15). He warns us that harboring a grudge bottlenecks God's forgiveness from flowing into our own lives.

We all desperately need God’s grace every single day. When we clutch onto an offense, we are building a spiritual dam in our own hearts. Choosing to reject a spirit of offense clears out that toxic debris, making room for God's love and supernatural peace to flood our souls again.

3. Offense Corrupts the Heart

The Apostle Paul doesn't mince words when describing relational brokenness. He explicitly lists bitterness, rage, and anger as “evil behaviors” (Ephesians 4:31).

When we give an offense rent-free space to live in our hearts, we are opening the front door and inviting bitterness and resentment to move in right alongside it. You simply cannot build a life of supernatural peace if you are actively sheltering evil behaviors in your command center.

4. Respect Is Earned Through Restraint

King Solomon provides a brilliant leadership proverb for the battlefield:

“Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.” (Proverbs 19:11)

Because we live in a fallen world full of flawed people, wrongs will be done to you. You cannot control what other people say, think, or do. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, you have absolute control over your own response.

In my younger years, I deeply struggled with a quick, volatile temper. The moment I witnessed what I perceived to be an injustice against myself or someone else, anger would instantly flare up. Learning to restrain that reflex required major intentional effort and the processing of many embarrassing moments where I ultimately had to go back and apologize. But as we learn to block offense, the world takes notice. We become a visible, living advertisement for the peace of God.

Personal Application Questions:

Am I an over-looker or a broadcaster? When people around you make mistakes, do you gracefully make allowances for them, or do you find yourself constantly talking about and replaying their errors to others?
Am I remembering my own record? Have you fully immersed yourself in the reality of God's massive forgiveness toward you, or are you operating with a self-righteous double standard?
Am I guarding my temper today? Are you letting small, daily irritations dictate your emotional temperature, or are you allowing the Holy Spirit to act as your internal thermostat?

Your Tactical Assignment for the Week:

The next time you feel the hot urge to criticize, react, or become angry at someone else’s behavior, immediately freeze the frame. Before you speak or act, take 10 seconds to think about the sheer volume of mistakes God has wiped off your slate. Verbally thank Him for His grace toward you and ask Him to give you His eyes to see the person who just tripped up.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit, I refuse to give the spirit of offense a single square inch of territory in my heart today. I desire a clean, uncompromised heart that is fully aligned with Your will and saturated with Your peace. Search me and expose any hidden bitterness, anger, or resentment I have been harboring. Help me to evict those toxic intruders right now and give me the grace to make allowances for others, just as You have continuously made allowances for me. Amen.

“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”