HOW TO BEHAVE 10

Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

This is something that seems to be getting harder all the time. Just a couple of hours ago I woke up, in a motel, with a bad attitude. There is a little league baseball tournament in town and obviously some of the games ended late last night. As the players arrived back at the motel they all seemed to be running back and forth above my room and hollering at each other. I had already gone to sleep and they woke me up more than once. When I woke up this morning I wanted to go out into the peaceful parking lot and blow my car horn a few times just to make sure that none of them overslept. My wife's cooler head prevailed and I did not do it. Now that I am working on these devotionals I will have to remember to thank her.

When it comes to living peaceably with others, we can't control other people's actions. We can however control our own reactions.

As I think about this my frown from earlier has turned into a smile. If I had followed my first instinct I might at this time be in a different frame of mind. Sometimes all it takes to live peaceably with others is just a little self-restraint...or a little restraint by a loving spouse.