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【柔能克剛】有一則故事談到老子的學生常與孔子的學生辯論，不過老是辯輸，就去問老子有何辦法可以贏孔子的學生。老子把嘴張開，問學生說：『我的舌頭在不在？』回說：『在。』然後再問：『我的牙齒在不在？』回說：『不在。』老子就藉此教導學生說：『這就對了，你們看，牙齒是硬的，結果已經脫落；舌頭是軟的，現今還在。如果以硬碰硬，不是像牙齒的命運嗎？何不以舌頭的柔軟來對付！』柔能克剛。
【溫柔的人不易受傷】溫柔的人像一團棉花常給人舒適和溫暖的感覺，而自己卻不容易受傷。據說某次孔子走訪老子，請教做人之道。老子一句話也沒有說，只是把舌頭伸出來幾下。那時老子年老牙齒掉光了。孔子若有所悟，但孔子的弟子卻不明白。在我們口中有硬的牙齒和軟的舌頭，我們從未聽過柔軟的舌頭，把牙齒抵出來，只是常有堅硬的牙齒，咬傷了舌頭的事實。到了年老的時候，牙齒掉光，而舌頭依然存在。
【剛硬的人不能為主所用】相信主容易，順服主卻不易。要被主大用，就要準備，無論如何一定要順服主。小孩最容易對父母說：「不！」有一位母親管教孩子，要他坐下，孩子不聽，母親就用手將他按下。小孩說：「媽媽，我力氣沒你大，雖然你把我按下坐著，但我心裏還是站著。」由此可知，我們人是何等的剛硬。
【溫柔是聖靈所結的果子之一】溫柔的希臘原文是由兩個字組成，意譯為「君子風度的待人接物」。這顆聖靈果子非常難結，不是人可由涵養、強忍、觀色、待機或四面討好、八面玲瓏中獲得的，乃信徒內在的生命因恆久靈修而產生聖靈性格的自然表現。這顆果子結得好，信徒彰顯耶穌榮美，無形中就吸引人歸主了。─ R.A. Torrey "The Real Christ"
A boy once asked, “Dad, how do wars begin?”
“Well, take the First World War,” said his father. “That got started when Germany invaded Belgium.”
Immediately his wife interrupted him: “Tell the boy the truth. It began because somebody was murdered.” The husband drew himself up with an air of superiority and snapped back, “Are you answering the question, or am I?” Turning her back upon him in huff, the wife walked out of the room and slammed the door as hard as she could.
When the dishes stopped rattling in the cupboard, and uneasy silence followed, broken at length by the son when he said, “Daddy, you don’t have to tell me any more; I know now!”
“When
I repress my emotions, my stomach keeps score.” ―― John Powell
Of the
seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to
smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the
prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome
morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back; in many
ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are
wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you. ―― Frederick
Buechner
Anger
is often more harmful than the injury that caused it. The story is told of the
time when Leonardo da Vinci was working on his painting “The Last Supper” and
became angry with a certain man. Losing his temper, he lashed the other fellow
with bitter words. Returning to his canvas, Leonardo attempted to work on the
face of Jesus but was so upset he could not compose himself for the painstaking
work. Finally he put down his tools and sought out the subject of his wrath and
asked his forgiveness. The man accepted his apology and Leonardo was able to
return to his workshop and finish painting the face of Jesus.
A man
that does not know how to be angry does not know how to be good. A man that
does not know how to be shaken to his heart’s core with indignation over things
evil is either a fungus or a wicked man. ―― H.W. Beecher
Alexander
the Great was one of the few men in history who seemed to deserve his
descriptive title. He was energetic, versatile, and intelligent. Although
hatred was not generally part of his nature, several times in his life he was
tragically defeated by anger. The story is told of one of these occasions, when
a dear friend of Alexander, a general in his army, became intoxicated and began
to ridicule the emperor in front of his men. Blinded by anger and quick as
lightning, Alexander snatched a spear from the hand of a soldier and hurled it
at his friend. Although he had only intended to scare the drunken general, his
aim was true and the spear took the life of his childhood friend.
Deep
remorse followed his anger. Overcome with guilt, Alexander attempted to take
his own life with the same spear, but he was stopped by his men. For days he
lay sick, calling for his friend and chiding himself as a murderer.
Alexander
the Great conquered many cities and vanquished many countries, but he had filed
miserably to control his own spirit.
Anyone
can become angry. That is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the
right degree, at the right time, and in the right way—that is not easy.