Proverbs 14:29
He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding:
But he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
The same is true of all passions: anger; love; discouragement; frustration; elations: these are all emotions. They are therefore unreliable and cannot be used as sole foundation for important decisions and actions. The apostle who extensively wrote about the evils of uncontrolled speech referred to this verse when he said:
He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding:
But he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
The same is true of all passions: anger; love; discouragement; frustration; elations: these are all emotions. They are therefore unreliable and cannot be used as sole foundation for important decisions and actions. The apostle who extensively wrote about the evils of uncontrolled speech referred to this verse when he said:
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. James 119-20.
Jewish sages taught that a strong man is not he who conquers a city, but rather he who controls his passions. Many a warrior has failed to conquer his most dangerous enemy: himself. Many an exhorting preacher has passed by the most dangerous demons: his own. To paraphrase the apostle Paul: I can conquer the whole world but if I conquer not my own spirit, I am but a boasting hypocrite. I can bring masses to repentance with the most eloquent sermon, but if I fail to bring my own sprit to its knees, I failed in my mission.
There are many programs today such as ‘Anger management’ and others to help us control he effects of our attitudes, but it is not enough to control the ‘hands’, we need to control the inside. Our proverb to day tells us that the ‘inside’ of being slow to wrath Is ‘great understanding’. This contrasts with the ‘hasty of spirit’, which exalts folly (lack of understanding). Leaders especially must learn to react slowly; maybe even not to react at all, but to respond.
May the Father of all Wisdom help us to inherit the comprehension that we need to make levelheaded decisions and act with understanding instead of with folly.
Jewish sages taught that a strong man is not he who conquers a city, but rather he who controls his passions. Many a warrior has failed to conquer his most dangerous enemy: himself. Many an exhorting preacher has passed by the most dangerous demons: his own. To paraphrase the apostle Paul: I can conquer the whole world but if I conquer not my own spirit, I am but a boasting hypocrite. I can bring masses to repentance with the most eloquent sermon, but if I fail to bring my own sprit to its knees, I failed in my mission.
There are many programs today such as ‘Anger management’ and others to help us control he effects of our attitudes, but it is not enough to control the ‘hands’, we need to control the inside. Our proverb to day tells us that the ‘inside’ of being slow to wrath Is ‘great understanding’. This contrasts with the ‘hasty of spirit’, which exalts folly (lack of understanding). Leaders especially must learn to react slowly; maybe even not to react at all, but to respond.
May the Father of all Wisdom help us to inherit the comprehension that we need to make levelheaded decisions and act with understanding instead of with folly.
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