I don’t think that he is getting this from Hollywood. Most of Hollywood, as strange as they are, thinks Mel is a little off, so that should tell you something.

This is a family thing.

Only 3 times in so many years? You are a pristine servant, worthy of much.

I have lost my cool on numerous occasions when I should have kept it. No doubt. Something that you said, however, triggered another thought. It is not sinful to be angry. The Bible says to be angry and sin not, as I referenced in the above story.

There have been several times when I have been angry at church and let my emotions show, but I wouldn’t call them sin. I did not humiliate the other person(s). I did not attack them, nor was I unfair. I think the passionate defense of my integrity is not a sinful thing, and I don’t regret ever doing such. In fact, it has gone a long way to helping me establish leadership with integrity. Bullies exist in churches, but when I stood up to the bullies in my ministry – showing my emotions, but not sinning – I have gained credibility and they have been corrected. Whenever I have knuckled under so as “not to cause a scene,” it only served to embolden them to greater sin and me and my family to leave to avoid the pain. It was unhealthy and not biblical. The latter scenarios informed the former and brought me to where I am now – unafraid to show my emotions while trying to be careful of my motives and actions while feeling those emotions.

The truth is, we all are feeling those emotions, whether or not they show. It is not sinful to have them, it is not sinful to show them, it can be sinful to let them reign.

On the other hand, I have gone too far, as I already said. That’s a different story.

Thanks for the jumping off point – and for the honesty.

You asked “You ever lose your cool at church?” Unfortunately, yes I have, however, never using profanity or hitting anyone.

Once was with a young man when I was a Youth Pastor. He was disrupting a bible study so I took him out and dressed him down pretty good. I told his mother that night what had happened and why I was so harsh toward him. She understood and had no problem with it. The young man never spoke to me again.

Another time one of my deacons was spouting his man-centered drivel and trying to tell me what he wanted me to preach. Let me just say that I was not very nice toward him that day.

One last time was in a business meeting. I won’t go into the specifics but several people accused me of lying about a matter. I am not a liar. I will not knowingly lie to anyone about anything. Honesty and integrity are “hot button” issues for me.

In each of these instances, I regretted losing my cool, confessed my sin and repented to God, and apologized to the persons involved.

Now I try very hard to maintain my composure in contentious circumstances, but I admit it is still a struggle.

Les