Road Rage

Aug 31, 2021

"And 'don't sin by letting anger control you!' Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil."

- St. Paul, Ephesians 4:26

"Speak when you are angry and you will give the best speech you will ever regret!"

- Ambrose Bierce

When's the last time another driver did something on the road that made you mad? This morning? Last night on your drive home? Yesterday when traffic was shut down on I-5 because a small plane landed on the freeway? Chances are, it was not that long ago. I don't know about you but it seems to me that there are more idiots on the road today than ever before… I know… ‘cause sometimes I are one! Maybe it's the pent-up emotions from this crazy pandemic or the extreme hostile reactions of people to everything from mask-wearing to vaccinations to school policies to Sacramento's mandates to heightened political tensions to Mideast turbulence to ever-present drought issues that have together all raised our collective Irritability Quotient to an all-time high. A lot of people just seem to have a low-grade anger smoldering just beneath the surface that almost anything can trigger into an out-of-control angry response.

The National Transportation and Safety Institute said that last year over 80% of all traffic accidents and injuries were caused by varying degrees of road rage. Wow! 80%...

...Someone suddenly changes lanes without signaling and cuts you off...

...Someone is driving too slow in the fast lane and won't pull over...

...Someone is tailgating you and when you bump your brake lights they "flip you off!"...

...Someone is looking at their cell phone and veers into your lane narrowly missing your car...

...Someone starts honking their horn and flashing their high beams behind you because they're in a bigger hurry than you are...

Road Rage is defined as “the anger that's created by bad driving behavior that leads a driver to dangerous and aggressive retaliatory action that ends in damage and destruction of person and/or property." Road Rage can be as subtle as losing your peace of mind over someone's bad driving behavior that makes you pray for all their tires to go flat… at the same time… to a full-on aggressive driving tactic that seriously places life and limb of both drivers and passengers in harm's way.

True story… three months ago, on July 6, 2021, a father and his 17 year old son were leaving a Houston Astros baseball game… traffic was heavy, and in the parking lot, someone cut somebody off, so this father and the other driver exchanged obscene gestures. The father and his son headed out onto the freeway with the other driver in angry pursuit. Three shots were fired. David Xavier, the 17 year old son, was killed. Unbelievable! Another true story… on May 22, 2021, Aiden Leos, a 6 year old boy in his booster seat, was shot and killed in a road rage incident on the 55 freeway in Orange County on his way to school. Are you kidding me! This is beyond tragic!!!

In the Book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul, well aware of the tragic consequences of unmanaged anger, said:

And don't sin by letting anger control you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

- Ephesians 4:26

In other words, your out-of-control anger is an open invitation for the devil to use you to wreck something valuable that you will later regret… in spades. How many times have you and I regretted what we said or what we did out of anger?

Unmanaged anger not only dents cars… it ruins relationships… it hurts people… it damages our health… it wrecks unity… it creates division, hostility, violence… and it destroys peace of mind. No wonder the devil loves it!

Which is why the Apostle Paul demands that you and I who have invited the Spirit of Jesus to rule our hearts and minds… we must learn to manage our anger in a God-honoring way! So the question is: How do I manage my anger and avoid road rage in my life and relationships?

According to that great theologian, Daniel Tiger…

"When you feel so Mad...

That you want to Roar...

Take a Deep Breath…

And Count to Four...1...2...3...4!"

Listen… you and I live by the power of the Spirit of God, who created the entire Universe. We have the capacity to live like Jesus… even during rush hour…

Even when we are surrounded by vehicular idiots… even when someone cuts us off and offends us on the road! Let me give you some helpful hints on managing your anger on the road:

...Invite Jesus to "take the wheel" and consciously remind yourself people will know you're a Christian… by the way you drive.

...Defuse driving offenses by driving redemptively… if you can forgive someone who hurts you, you can tolerate bad driving behavior without retaliating.

...Give the bad driver the benefit of the doubt… maybe they just lost their job… or a loved one just died… or they got a bad doctor's report… or their spouse just filed for divorce… or their child got Covid.

Here's the lesson: Defuse it!...Don't incite it!

Did you hear about the old rich widow, with the brand new top-o-the-line Mercedes, who was looking for a parking space in a jam-packed mall parking lot? Finally, she saw a car backing out of a space, so she pulled up and patiently waited for the person to back out. Just as the driver exited the space… but before she could pull in… a young man in a brand new sporty BMW 325i zips into "her" parking space… jumps out of his car and shouts, "Sorry ma'am, but that's what happens when you're young and quick!" Upset and angry, the old widow hits the accelerator and crashes into the side of the new BMW… rolls down her window and shouts, "Sorry sonny, but that's what happens when you're old and rich!"

The truth is, unless you're an old rich widow, most of us cannot afford to cover the check that our anger writes! So, the next time someone does something that irritates you on the road… or at the office… or at school… or in your home… Check your temperature. Feel your pulse, take a breath, and give the wheel to Jesus.