LET THE MUD DRY!

I hope you don't mind, but I felt that I should follow up on yesterday's post with another thought that seemed to go right along with the topic of being criticized. I was reading in Proverbs and I came across Proverbs 15:18; which states, "A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention." Simply put, take your time in answering when you are angry and the fight will naturally fizzle out. Anger is a strong and even potentially destructive emotion emitting from the hearts of people who can lose control of it. When we are personally offended and we get our feelings hurt by others for example, our immediate reaction is to want to retaliate and "tell that person off". Well, sometimes confrontation to resolve a difference may be necessary, but more often than not, using restraint and allowing for a cooling off period is proper wisdom. I did read a story once about a man who had been insulted by someone else and he was irate over the issue to the point that he said, "I am going to his house right now and demand an apology!" His smart, and might I say wise wife said to him, "Honey, take a word of advice from one who does not like confrontation but likes peace. An insult is like mud; it will brush off much better when it dries. Wait till you are both cool, and you will both be able to resolve the issue. If you go right now, it will only escalate the argument further." The result of his waiting was good, because the next day the person who had insulted him came to him and asked him for forgiveness. Now, I know that not all problems have these kinds of happy endings, but the possibilities are greatly increased when we are 'slow to wrath'. So, the next time you are driven to anger by someone offending you or by some cutting remark against you, try counting to a hundred or something if necessary. Take some time to cool off. Time and God are on your side. Remember, 'mud always brushes off better when it is dry! And, here's another thought, "Anger is just one letter short of danger." I hope this helps when you are faced with a situation that requires calm and not anger. If you have faced some time like that and want to share, please post your comment. Have a great day.  Pastor Bob