It takes two to tango and two to argue. It is far easier to engage in a hurtful argument than it is to stay calm and avoid anger. God can help you avoid “getting into it” with someone, but it takes faith to learn how God’s love can guide you. Faith can help you learn how to communicate without allowing an argument or confrontation to escalate.
Just Breathe
We often tell our children to count to 10 when they feel angry. When you are faced with a situation that seems to be escalating count to 10 and take a calming breath to feel God’s love. This will give you time to bite your tongue and avoid spitting out words in anger that are thoughtless and cruel. When you learn to stop being reactive you will begin to lead a life with less strife and stop yourself from entering into situations where talking can escalate to shouting.
Use Humor
The gift of laughter is difficult to resist. In many cases you can use humor to calm a situation and sometimes it means taking one for the team so to speak. The best way to diffuse a situation is to take a pot shot at yourself, not the other person. When you make a joke about yourself it takes the focus off the anger. You don’t want to try poking fun at the other person as this might make them angrier. This can be especially effective in a bullying situation where you can shrug off the bully’s words by agreeing in a nonchalant way. “Yeah, my pants do look stupid but what can ya do?” This will help take away their power as well as make those watching laugh. If you are having issues with bullying Bishop Jordan Prophecies can provide enlightenment on how to deal with them.
Take the Higher Road
Often confrontation begins because one person wants something the other person does not. God’s love helps you to listen to what the other person is saying and decide if it is worth fighting over. In most cases the person is angry because it means more to them. If it isn’t that important, take the high road and agree. It is not a sign of weakness; instead it is a sign of strength of character and maturity.