“Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”- Proverbs 29:11
The Proverbs of Solomon proclaim in the first few verses that they were written “for gaining wisdom and instruction”. It also tells us that a wise man will “listen and add to their learning”. You remember Solomon: Son of David, king of Israel. He was the one who asked for wisdom to rule over Israel rather than for personal riches and material possessions (1 Kings 3:1-15). God was so impressed with his request that He granted him what he asked for and what he didn’t ask for as well. So, Solomon is a person we should seriously listen to when it comes to wisdom and guidance.
Have you noticed how much anger exists in the world today? We see an increase in road rage, angry bands spewing hatred (e.g. Slipknot), people flying off the handle with little provocation. Stress can be a cause. Tough economic times could be another. A lack of employment which can cause indebtedness. There are any number of reasons why people are angry; yet Solomon tells us that “fools give full vent to their rage”. I have a sneaking suspicion that statement would cause those angry people to become even angrier. No one wants to have their anger pointed out to them and certainly no one likes to be called a fool. Angry people aren’t as rational as calm people. They have given in to the rage that boils just beneath the surface. We all have had injustices done to us throughout our lives. It’s not in the injustice, but rather in the way we handle the injustice that helps define us as a person. Will we go ballistic or will we shake it off and be calm in the face of it. Face it, we all get angry from time to time. How do we channel those feelings? Do we go off half-cocked or do we remain calm in spite of our circumstances? A wise man will “bring calm in the end”.
People that feel there is no hope tend to give in more easily to anger. Some folks are just angry by nature; the least little thing will set them off. Without Christ there is no assurance of hope for the future. With Christ, no matter what happens to us in our lives, we have the assurance of heaven. Heaven; where all our tears shall be wiped away. Heaven; where we shall dwell in the house of God for all eternity. Heaven; where all our striving will end. There is no real need to become angry over the many injustices we encounter in this life. The devil thrives on poking us with a sharp stick to draw our attention off of God. Those who don’t know God in the first place are mired in their anger and pain and see no hope for their future. Christians can be that wise man who brings calm, diffusing the anger. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
No comments:
Post a Comment