http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2016-18&version=ESV
Proverbs 16:32: "Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city."
Anger and self control. These are areas that a lot of us have issues with.
In the book of James, James writes, "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:19-20)
So by being angry, unless it is a righteous anger as Jesus displayed when cleansing the temple and as Paul discusses in Ephesians 4:26, should be avoided. When we have anger that is based on situations or when people let us down, we are sinning and being un-Christ like. How often do we let others down and make mistakes and have people shown us mercy? We should strive to do the same.
And how we do this is by self-control. A self-control that is guided by the Holy Spirit. The last part of Proverbs 16:32 means he who rules his spirit is better or superior than he who takes a city.
Later in the book of Proverbs this image of self control and a city is referred to again.
Proverbs 25:28 states, "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls."
Without self control you are defenseless against the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil. (See Ephesians 2:1-3) That is not how we are to live!!
Each day I pray Proverbs 25:28. I don't want to be left defenseless in this world that we live in. I pray to the Lord that I would have self control in the use of my tongue, in controlling my anger, controlling my thoughts, and my physical body in terms of living a holy and pure life that is pleasing to God.
Anger is so detrimental in the Christian life. Yet, self control that is guided by the Holy Spirit can help to negate and hopefully eliminate anger in your life that you might otherwise display to your friends, family, the world, and the Body of Christ, that being the universal church.
Today, pray to the Lord to give you self control that you might live a self controlled and pleasing life to the Lord.
Galatians 5:22-23 states "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Soli Deo Gloria.
Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.
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Like the last verse you pointed out
ReplyDeleteGalatians 5:22-23 states "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Notice the word fruit. It a singular noun. There is only one fruit which manifests itself in various ways. Each aspect of God's love will manifest itself in the list above. Only Jesus can produce this in our character and like you said, it only comes by the Holy Spirit.
Like how can someone change their own character? we can't but God can.
Have you noticed as we walk with God, our desires change and our character changes. It comes from the inside out. Like standing in front of the frig, our appetite changes and we just don't desire the same things we used to do. I love it as we walk in the Spirit, His fruit starts to manifest in many different ways from the above verse.