To Fester Or Forgive

Read Proverbs 19

Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

Proverbs 19:11

Anger is an emotion that double-crosses us when we least expect it. When we are angry with someone, we often think that our anger is hurting that person. We fume and rage internally, but gradually the bitterness begins to eat away at our own spirits. In the end, our anger actually hurts us!

So how can we control our temper? Controlling temper does not entail stuffing our emotions deep inside to fester. Instead, the proverb couples restraint with the action of overlooking wrongs. Instead of festering, we are given a tool to lessen our anger when it begins.

At the point when we start to get angry, we can make a choice to overlook wrongs. In other words, we can choose to release our anger through forgiveness. We will never have control over other people’s actions, but we do have control over our own. If we must express anger, it should be done early rather than late, with a calm sense of self-control and restraint. That itself is a mark of spiritual maturity.

A WORD FOR TODAY

Wisdom holds anger’s reins.

Lord, give me a forgiving spirit so that I will be able to let go of my anger toward others.