Jan and I normally travel by taxi in Ho Chi Minh City. Averaging several taxi rides per day, we have observed up close a lot of different drivers and many traffic jams. After all there are about 7 million people officially and perhaps a total of 10 million estimated unofficially. With 5 million motor bikes and increasing car traffic; with rules of the road clear and often obeyed, but exceptions allowed and common, it is interesting that we rarely observe angry drivers.
Most taxi drivers are pretty quick and aggressive here. Some of the left hand turns they make you would never see in Canada or the USA. Sometimes we see annoyance when a motorbike cuts across from the inside lane in the front of a taxi to make a sudden left hand turn. There is plenty of honking - some as gentle warnings, some just out of habit that makes no sense, and some when stuck in frustrating line ups. But we've never seen anything close to road rage.
Of course the Vietnamese are much more accustomed to things moving slowly than we are. They have learned patience, although they don't like to line up in an orderly fashion - and they don't wait for elderly foreigners to exit an elevator first. But evidence of anger through words or actions is pretty rare in the culture as we have observed it.
Growing in patience and learning to deal with anger in a godly way has been a lifelong process for me. I've seen the sad results of anger uncontrolled to motivate me to control it and I've known conviction from the biblical teaching that is very clear on the subject.
The Bible tells us to deal with anger quickly; nursing and rehearsing our anger does not please God; it gives opportunity for the Evil One: "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Ephesians 4:26
The Bible tells us that love "is patient" and "is not easily angered." I Corinthians 13:4, 5 We are told in James that we are to be "slow to anger". Perhaps the most sobering words are these: "man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." James 1:20
I want to live a righteous life that pleases God - and so do you. So lets cooperate with God's Spirit and not allow anger to prevent us from pleasing God.
Most taxi drivers are pretty quick and aggressive here. Some of the left hand turns they make you would never see in Canada or the USA. Sometimes we see annoyance when a motorbike cuts across from the inside lane in the front of a taxi to make a sudden left hand turn. There is plenty of honking - some as gentle warnings, some just out of habit that makes no sense, and some when stuck in frustrating line ups. But we've never seen anything close to road rage.
Of course the Vietnamese are much more accustomed to things moving slowly than we are. They have learned patience, although they don't like to line up in an orderly fashion - and they don't wait for elderly foreigners to exit an elevator first. But evidence of anger through words or actions is pretty rare in the culture as we have observed it.
Growing in patience and learning to deal with anger in a godly way has been a lifelong process for me. I've seen the sad results of anger uncontrolled to motivate me to control it and I've known conviction from the biblical teaching that is very clear on the subject.
The Bible tells us to deal with anger quickly; nursing and rehearsing our anger does not please God; it gives opportunity for the Evil One: "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Ephesians 4:26
The Bible tells us that love "is patient" and "is not easily angered." I Corinthians 13:4, 5 We are told in James that we are to be "slow to anger". Perhaps the most sobering words are these: "man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." James 1:20
I want to live a righteous life that pleases God - and so do you. So lets cooperate with God's Spirit and not allow anger to prevent us from pleasing God.
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