Take a Deep Breath

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.  James 3:18

Have you ever had one of those moments when you’re so fired up about something that you can barely breathe?  Maybe you start talking so rapidly that you’re out of breath, or you’re so angry you can’t even get the words out.  I have had days like that.  And then when you finally do manage to get the words out, they are biting and toxic.  I’m not sure if I’ve ever regretted words that I’ve spoken when I was in a peaceful mindset, but I have certainly regretted a lot of the words I’ve spoken while upset.  When James talks about the harvest of righteousness, he’s referring to the law of sowing and reaping.  It’s a pretty simple law when you think about it: if you plant pumpkin seeds, then you can expect pumpkins to grow from them.  What you can’t expect is for apples or any other thing to grow; what we sow is what we reap.  When we sow peace, we reap peace; when we sow anger and distress, guess what we reap!  In that moment when you’re ready to explode, take a moment to step back and take a deep breath.  Speaking out of anger rarely, if ever, helps to solve a situation.  If you want a harvest of righteousness, then it must be sown in peace.