The Word for Today

by Bob and Debby Gass

Text size: A- A+

‘A quick-tempered man acts foolishly.’ 
Proverbs 14:17 NKJV

The truth is that when your temper gets the best of you, it reveals the worst of you. The Bible says three things about unrighteous anger that you need to keep in mind:

(1) It’s stupid. Simple as that. ‘A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.’ (Proverbs 14:17 NKJV) Mark Twain wrote: ‘Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.’

(2) It’s divisive. ‘A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them.’ (Proverbs 15:18 NLT) Occasionally we may become angry for good reason. But most of the time it’s because we’re selfish, impatient, irritated, or hurt about the way we have been treated. Humourist Will Rogers once said, ‘People who fly into a rage seldom make a good landing.’ Instead of solving the problem, anger only makes it worse.

(3) It’s destructive. ‘Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again.’ (Proverbs 19:19 NLT) That means when you keep losing your temper, you keep losing. You will lose friends, you will lose the love and respect of your family, you will lose your business associates, and it can even cause you to lose your health. John Hunter, a psychologist who had a severe heart condition, said, ‘My life is at the mercy of the person who can make me angry… the first scoundrel who gets me angry can kill me.’

And guess what? That scoundrel can be you! So ask God to help you control your anger.

SoulFood: 1 Chr 23:21–26:19, John 10:1–10, Ps 99, Pro 26:1–6

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024

Select Specific Day

SMTWTFS
« OctDec »