Irritability Boat

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m assuming you’re getting a bit irritated by the continued quarantine. I am. I needed a quick quarantine attitude-check one day this past week. Things seemed to happen throughout the day that led me to a low-grade ongoing irritation. Just like a fever, it persisted, until I got my act together.

I try to blame my irritability on someone or something else. That only makes sense, right? But, when I did a personal check in with my own attitude, the only one to blame was myself. I let the challenges of my day get the best of me. I’m not even going to tell you all the things…but here’s one of them. Why, oh why, doesn’t HEB or Costco or anywhere else, carry hand sanitizer? Silly, right? We all know the answer...because they don't. 

We’re all in this irritability boat together, but let’s set our sails to a different course. Our irritations not only affect us, but they affect those around us. Just think how easy it could be to take the lack of hand sanitizer out on the HEB employee at the cash register? I’m not going to do that, but aren’t we tempted to share our irritations with others? Have you ever listened to yourself be irritable? Try it sometime. You’re not pleasant to be with and I’m not either.

Paul speaks about irritability in his famous passage in 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.” The Greek word used here can also be translated “incited” or “kindled.” It’s the idea that love is not irritable. We are not to become too quickly or too easily provoked to anger.

We get irritated when something we want is denied or denied, or disrupted like we see now with COVID-19. It’s basically a selfish response to what we want.

When is it cool to be irritated? Never.

I encourage you to ask God today to show you when you tend to get irritated. Ask him to forgive you for your irritable spirit. Take time with God to write down the times you tend to get most irritated during this COVID -19. If you’re really bold, ask those who know you best: “When am I frequently irritable?” Pray daily that you can walk through these days loving others and extending much grace.

"The more I remember God’s lavish love for us in Jesus, the more I forget to be irritated with others. The ultimate goal is not being less irritated, but more like Jesus. It isn’t the promise to do better, but the commitment to repent quicker.” Scotty Smith

“Fools show their annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult” Proverbs 12:16

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.