My last post was mostly over verse 1 and living for something greater than earthly things. Live for something lasting, eternal.
Today we’re going to be focusing on verse 9 that states, “Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.”
I’ve thought a lot about anger over the years. I’ve been angry at a multitude of things, even at myself. In recent years, I’ve felt more convicted over the reason for any anger that bubbles up. Why are we angry? Does this anger serve a purpose / what is the purpose? Is it righteous anger or self-serving anger?
We’re reminded in Ephesians 4:26 that we can be angry, but we are to not sin in our anger and do not let the sun go down on your anger. To take vengeance is to sin. Who does it belong to? Romans 12:19 points us back to Who is in control.
Wisdom teaches us to control our anger. We should take a breath and assess the cause, the purpose and then determine how to move forward. Moving forward is determined by the purpose, and the purpose is determined by the cause.
Anger can distract us from His purpose over our lives because the anger is our focus and what we do with that anger can be an added layer of distraction.
In verse 8, Solomon writes, “Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”
I find it interesting that this was right before talking about anger. So many times we’re angry over time – why is it taking so long? Why hasn’t this been done? And soooo many times, it’s literally God’s time, not ours, that something gets done. What’s our hurry?
Back to anger… our anger (distraction) can be using up valuable time we could be spending on fellowshipping with God, glorifying Him as we faithfully serve others. What are we doing with the anger and how are we spending our time?
There’s joy in wisdom. While Solomon says in a previous chapter that wisdom brings sorrow (the more you know, the more you see the evil and weep over it), it also brings joy because we know so much more fully that He’s preparing a place of no more sorrow.
We find more joy out of life with the right perspective and aligning our anger away from meaningless things.
Have you felt convicted over anger before?
Thank for your stopping for part 2 in this mini-series. I’ll be back next week to look at a later verse with you!
Not Your Season: Summer's Blog 