Choose calm over upset

December 3, 2019 | 18 comments

If you’re ever tempted to get upset over another person’s actions, you can choose to stay calm instead. You are never helpless! Demeanor is a choice, and you possess God-given ability to make good choices when faced with options.

The human mind often justifies getting angry in the false belief that “I can’t help it.” But that is not true. Anger is not compulsive. It is not a mind of its own that can control our thinking and make us upset. Anger is an animal propensity of the mortal mind that can be mastered and shut down.

As children of God, we possess the Mind of God that is in control of its own thoughts. We have God-given ability to respond to adversity with authority and dominion, and to not get carried away by emotions of the moment. We can stay calm, listen for God’s direction, then act in a way that brings positive results.

Choose calm over upset! It’s the more peaceful way to live.

18 thoughts on “Choose calm over upset”

  1. Yes..it’s not always easy to stay calm when faced by adversities. But in Christian Science we learn that GOD, GOOD IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL. Well if we learn this Truth, we also need to apply it when required. Yes if we stay calm we can listen for God’s direction and get good results. Whereas a disturbed mind, an angry and agitated attitude will make things worse. So why not rely on God’s care and entrust everything to Him. “Father Thy hand in all things and all things in thy hands I behold”. “Thy wisdom will the way prepare”. “Thy all power helps and heals and sets us free.”
    Thanks so much Evan for your timely inspirations and guidance which come to us as angels in our difficult times.

  2. Yes, behavior is a choice and emotions are too but very quickly they become habits…So thank you for the reminder.

  3. I’ve given in to the temptation to be angry and resentful quite a lot for awhile. Recently a church friend reminded me that since God [Principle, Love] is not angry [never has been, never will be], that I don’t have to be angry, and my true spiritual self [rather than my human mortal self] has never really been angry, and that I can have my freedom from this sin, This friend also reminded me that anger breaks all of the 10 Commandments! This brought me up short! I re-read all the Commandments, praying to live [demonstrate] them better. Progress. Today I woke up thinking of Christ Jesus healing the lunatic man, that this man had his peace immediately. Then he was told to go home [to live, to demonstrate] this peacefulness. That man recognized he was the beloved, calm child of God. That’s the truth about me, too! Just now I read this blog of yours, Evan, and my soul sings. Today I, too, am the calm and beloved child of God, Soul, Spirit, and can/am living this calmness, knowing I’m loved by our precious, all powerful, ever loving Father-Mother God.

  4. Thank you so much Evan for this so important reminder. I am working on it and praying to express more a calm and meek sense as God`s child. However when such a situation occurse that I feel being judged unjustified, I sometimes do not immediately listen to God`s angel thoughts to react loving or not to react. But I must say, that studying the weekly cs lesson sermon before doing anything else is very helpful to master the daily challenges with God. Am grateful for SpiritView and for every lesson God is teaching me!

  5. Thank you Evan, for this reminder! And thanks to all for your helpful comments.
    I have a tendency to become impatient, mainly with myself, and have found that a poem by John Randall Dunn, published in the CS Sentinel of July 27, 1946, p. 1290, helps me keep calm and focused on the Truth.
    It is:
    “Another morn breaks; may this day be established
    As joyous unfolding of Life and of good.
    No time limitation, no pressure, no fearing,
    Can rob me of peace, or can keep me from hearing
    Truth’s leading, and proving Love’s rich amplitude.”

    1. Beautiful! I finally found it in JSH, as part of an article on meekness by Gertrude Thyng – another blessing!

  6. So many ways to love–worship–Truth! Divine Life, Love!

    Do we really have time for “mortal mind?”

  7. Excellent reminder. I read a comment by Pastor Rick Warren this week: Train your mind to think of God first. Goes with this reminder from Evan.

    1. Good way to spell out ANGER and eliminate its effects. My son had his life threatened, captured it on video, replayed it; so I asked him when and where he had learned the GOLDEN RULE? There were many exposures to learning it, but he didn’t specifically know who had taught him, but I reminded him that NOW it is his protection and life, to LIVE the GOLDEN RULE, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” He has his whole life before him to practice the Golden Rule.

  8. I just recently had the opportunity to choose calm over upset. I had gone into a store and was treated with discrimination. I’d never experienced that before. It was very upsetting. I stormed out, vowing to never return. In my car I ruminated how I might call his corporate office and report the incident, maybe even have the local newspaper publish this injustice. Some how expose his actions. Then God’s angel message came to me that love was the answer. So I chose to see this man as God sees him. As the expression of all God’s lovely qualities. It wasn’t easy but then the second verse of Hymn #315 came to me “Speak gently to the erring ones, They must have toiled in vain; Perchance unkindness made them so; O win them back again.” That was the answer I needed. So this is my quest…to win him back again. I will be visiting that store again, and again until I win him back again. Maybe I’ll even make a new friend. (=

  9. Most recently I shared this with a young teen who wanted to stay calm..and not react
    Be still and know that I am God.
    Be still and know that I am..
    Be still and know…
    Be still.
    These calm words repeated and brought into thought stoped the temptation to react.

  10. I used to tell my children that you cannot control how someone else will react but you can control what you will do. It was something hard learned by me. I think now often of love thy neighbor as myself, that we are all children of God, capable of expressing the qualities of Godliness.
    My job has a heavy PR aspect, and it has taught me how to bring a situation around to the good, which we all respond to. I have stopped even thinking that they might be ill or frightened or whatever, and just concentrating on the good which we all are. It really is a blessing.

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