Kung magalit ang mangmang ay walang pakundangan, ngunit ang matalino’y nagpipigil na ang galit niya’y mahalata.

Mga Kawikaan 29:11

Mahirap mag-decide at magsalita nang maayos habang dumaranas tayo ng strong emotions. Kapag galit tayo, kapag sobrang in-love, kapag tayo ay natatakot o anxious, nawawalan tayo ng self-control. We say things we don‘t mean; we do things na maaaring pagsisisihan natin later on. We are reminded not to sin in anger (Ephesians 4: 26:27), kasi ito nga ang tendency natin as human beings.

Mas significant lalo ang reminder na ito in this social media age. Meron na kasing venue for people to vent their feelings. Puwedeng sabihin ng kahit sino ang kanilang nararamdaman about anything, and many people could read this, and in turn, react. At dahil walang katapusan ang controversial topics online, mula sa religion at politics hanggang sa personal na buhay natin at ng kung sinu-sino, madaling maging emotional ang mga tao sa kanilang posts at replies. Madaling may makaaway at makasagutan, kadalasan with people we don‘t even know. Kailangan nating pigilan ang ating mga sarili. Sa Bible, sinasabi na ang taong walang pagpipigil is like a city that was broken into and left without walls (Proverbs 25:28). Nagiging defenseless tayo sa strong emotions like anger, lust, and fear, at sa consequences of giving in to them. 

Kailangan nating magkaroon ng self-control sa ating mga ginagawa at sinasabi, in both our real and online lives. We must always remember the power of words. Hindi ito nababawasan ng significance just because nag-comment or nag-post lang naman tayo sa social media. In fact, dahil sa napakalawak na reach ng iba’t ibang platforms, what we say will testify about our faith, whether we like it or not. So let us practice self-control.