An old friend asked, “Did Elijah have a temper?”
Controlling his temper
I think Elijah had a temper and controlled it.
See King Ahab stomping up the hill to Elijah’s boulder and telling him, “You trouble maker!”
I can imagine Elijah clenching and unclenching his jaw. Then starting to defend himself: “I have not made trouble for Israel.”
Telling Ahab off
I see him telling Ahab off good and proper: “You’re the cause of trouble, King. You and your father, the way everyone in your family turns away from the Lord and follows pagan gods.”
But with that said, I see Elijah checking himself, his jaw relaxing, and his whole frame standing loose.
Oops!
He sees he’s off track: “But I did not summon you to a debate.”
And he gets back to God’s agenda for the day, which was giving the king his To Do List. “Here’s what you’re going to do: Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
Handling our temper
Most of us resent being called a trouble maker − especially by the person who is causing all the trouble. Even more so when this chief trouble maker pokes his face in our face.
