. John learned his lesson by lying
on the bosom of Jesus. J. R. Miller, On the Control
of Temper, 1898. Many Christian people are willing
to confess to an ungentle temper. They seem to think it a matter
of not very grave importance, Perhaps the very commonness of
the infirmity blinds our eyes to its unbeauty and its sinfulness. We are apt to regard the malady
more as a weakness than as a sin which makes us guilty before
God. But there is no question that
bad temper is unchristlike. We cannot think of Jesus as acrimonious,
touchy, irritable, peevish, or vindictive. Love ruled all his
dispositions, his words, his feelings. He was put to the sorest
tests, but never failed. He endured all manner of wrongs,
insults, and hurts. But like those flowers which
yield their sweetest perfume only when crushed, His life gave
out the more sweetness, the more it was exposed to men's rudeness
and unkindness. We are like Christ, only in the
measure in which we have the patience, gentleness, and good
temper of Christ. We all agree that bad temper
is very unlovely in other people. We know, too, what discomfort
and pain a bad temper causes wherever the person goes. Bad
temper is not any more lovely in us as we appear to others'
eyes. An essential teaching of Christianity
is that marred human nature can be changed, the worst temper
can be schooled into the most divine sweetness of spirit, the
tongue which no man can tame, Christ can tame, so that instead
of bitterness it shall give out only words of love. Paul was
quite an old man when he said he had learned in whatever state
he was therein to be content. His language implies also that
it was not easy for him to learn this lesson, and that he had
not attained full proficiency in it until he had reached old
age. The lesson of sweet temper is
probably quite as hard as that of contentment. It has to be
learned, too. for it does not come naturally.
This lesson can be learned. We need only to put ourselves
into the school of Christ and stay there, accepting his teaching
and discipline, and advancing little by little until at last
we can say, I have learned in whatever circumstances I am,
under whatever provocation, irritation, or temptation to anger or impatience,
always to keep sweet-tempered. This lesson can be learned. Among
Jesus' own disciple family, there was one who at first was hasty,
fiery, and vindictive, but who at length grew into such sweet
beauty of disposition and character that he was known as the beloved
disciple, the disciple of love. John learned his lesson by lying
on the bosom of Jesus. intimacy with Christ, close personal
friendship with Him, living near His heart of love, will transform
the most unloving, selfish nature into sweetness of spirit. Such love within the heart will
soon get control of all the outer life, the dispositions, the speech,
the manners, and all the expressions of the inner life. Thus bitterness,
wrath, clamor, and all evil speaking will give place to gentleness,
goodness, and grace.