Cool Down Period

Be wise to not react too quickly. Words spoken in the heat of hurt or the rage of anger can come back to haunt you, especially if your rash actions lead to a lawsuit. If you commit to legal action without weighing the emotional and financial cost, you may very well regret you went down this long and lonely road, even if you win. Consider the expense before you pursue a public display of disparity. Cool down and then decide.

Perhaps you need a break to reflect on your options and to seek godly counsel? A striving soul only becomes more entangled in emotional upheaval. There needs to be the unwinding of your vexed will and solace from your Savior Jesus. This was David’s approach under pressure, “I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies” (2 Samuel 22:4). Cool down,so you can see Christ’s faithfulness.

There are ways to settle disputes in private. You may need a mediator to manage the communication with your antagonist. If both parties have overdrawn their relational equity, they both feel they deserve a debt of compliance. Communication takes place best with calm and quiet. “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Model the way by managing your emotions, cool down, then act.

So, go away with Christ and cool down. Make reconciliation your goal, not revenge. He calls Christians to be ministers of reconciliation, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). Is He calling me to drop the lawsuit? Am I to make amends in spite of my innocence? Once you cool down, ask what Christ would have you do. A cool head leads to a warm heart. There is no shame in seeking to make things right and reconnect in Christ.

Related Readings: Judges 11:12; Proverbs 20:3; Luke 14:31-32; 1 Corinthians 6:1

Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading?

How will I respond?