Proverbs 19:11
A wise man restrains his anger and overlooks insults. This is to his credit.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of TyndalePublishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All
rights reserved.
It seems like every child has a
moment when he/she turns to an adult and says, “I don’t love you
anymore!” This is usually a reaction to the adult telling the child
“No!” about something…or making him/her do something that said child
didn’t want to do! The difficult-yet-sensible reaction from the adult
is to say, “Okay!” and walk away.
Notice I didn’t say this was the easy
response! There is the temptation to correct the child…to argue and
tell him/her that “you don’t mean that!”…or “you shouldn’t talk to me
that way!” But the most effective reaction is generally to walk away
with a nod of agreement - or no response at all.
We would often
do well to react this way in our adult lives, also. People are going to
say and do hurtful things. The devil is a powerful agent, and he is
busy stirring up trouble at every turn. He will use everything at his
disposal to rile us up and make us angry…to offend us and hurt our
feelings. And he hopes with everything in him that we will respond and
react…and maybe hurl a few zingers and insults of our own!
Let’s
not play this game! We can’t let the devil win! We must ask God to
give us His supernatural strength and courage…to quiet our spirits when
the insults and offenses come our way. We must pray for great wisdom
and resolve as we turn and walk away…or better yet, offer the
offender a smile and a kind word.
We have to decide who we will
follow…and to whom we will belong. We must learn to react and respond
to others in such a way that our choice is abundantly clear to any and
all who observe us. When people look at you, who do they believe you
follow? Do your words and actions indicate that you are someone who
flies off the handle at the least little irritation? Are you always
angry with someone - or about something? Or are you clearly operating
in the peace and joy of Jesus…relying on Him to give you a calm spirit
and demeanor in the face of all circumstances?
Are you making a
point or making a difference with your reactions and responses? Does
your demeanor credit your relationship with Jesus…or represent a
surrender to the devil? Isn’t it time you got this straightened out,
once and for all? Will this be the day that you get started?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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