Why do we yell at others?

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When someone else does something to you that you don't like, how do you react? Do you raise your voice? Does your inflection change? Does your face change? Do you yell?

Yesterday with my kids there were multiple times when they were not getting along or not listening to me and I find myself yelling at them. Maybe not yelling in the sense of full out screaming at them... I don't think I've ever done that, but my voice gets louder, my face changes, etc. Do you think that it makes a difference with my kids in wanting to obey and listen when I do this? No... so why do I keep on doing it? Similar with anyone else. Why do we think that by yelling at another person that they will be more likely to listen and change the behavior that we don't like?

It's actually the opposite. It probably makes my kids less likely to want to hear me. Kind of related. Why do we repeat ourselves with our kids when we know they heard us the first time. We're just teaching them that it's not important to listen.

God, help me to love others. To love my kids well. To not yell. To not raise my voice out of anger. Instead of anger and irritation, give me patience and wisdom. Help me to talk with my kids about why they should do something instead of being a heavy hand that asks for obedience. Help me to help them see their sin as well and help me to point them to Jesus our savior.

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