Check out the St. Francis Feature for more. Our author calls on us to bless, not curse. Anger is a swift and easy response to many situations, such as the way others drive in traffic. Blessing is a conscious choice. In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , Stephen R. Covey talks of the personal victory that we achieve when we take responsibility for our own actions.
Anger is simply reaction to stimulus.
The act of blessing inserts a step between stimulus and reaction, a step based on values and principles. When we live as though we have a relationship with God, we take responsibility for anger, insert a pause before the hostile reaction and bless someone or some situation as our response. Living in faith is a choice. Living as a Christian, as one who believes in God, is a choice. Nourishing our relationship with God strengthens our ability to make these positive choices.