1 Kings 16:18  When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, . . .” (NIV)

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Overreact much? 

This is a real problem. Time magazine had an article last September entitled “The Overreaction Epidemic. What to Do About It?” It’s a good article. Too bad Zimri didn’t get a chance to read it. 

There’s a good chance that most people who overreact regularly aren’t sitting around contemplating that they overreact. They are not searching for articles about overreaction and how to prevent it. They are not chilling out on the back porch with a nice dark roast coffee and listening to the birds sing. (The Merlin bird app counted eight unique birds yesterday morning. It was quite the concert.)

Zimri probably didn’t have a dog like Ollie, the Border Collie, who could help him calm down by snuggling up next to him in a cozy petting session. He makes a pretty good therapy dog. 

Zimri seems like the kind of guy who would lead others to overreact as well. I’m guessing he was not much fun at a party after he had a couple of drinks. He was probably the guy who got loud fast, louder later, and ended up offending everyone before he left. 

I’m guessing Zimri didn’t get the kind of discipline necessary when he was a boy. He probably got a good beating when he threw his first tantrum. I’m guessing he learned the wrong lesson from that experience. It appears he learned how to throw successive tantrums of increasing volatility. He saved the worst for last. 

Don’t be Zimri. 

Find the article from Time Magazine and read it. There are a couple of other good ones from sources like Psychology Today that also may prove helpful. Don’t just read about what to do. Talk to someone who knows how to help people like us deal with our rage. 

Hang around with nice people. Avoid those who make you crazy. And do remember, it’s really not okay to set the house on fire. And it’s really, really not okay to set the house on fire when you’re inside it. 

Going out in a ball of fire is metaphorical flourish, not an idea to be taken literally. “Burn, baby, burn” is a good laugh line, but not a good life line.

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I will learn to control my reactions with God’s tempering presence and perspective.

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Our Father, deliver me from overreactions. Empower me with holy restraints. Remind me to fly into a calm rather than a rage. Make me a person of peace. Amen.