Here Are My Thoughts

READ: Proverbs 15

“A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.” (Proverbs 15:18)

I don’t know if we know how much we can impact and change situations. I think that sometimes, we’re not as mindful about how we’re being perceived as we should be. I know I’ve struggled with this over the years-not being aware that my demeanor has the power to escalate or de-escalate interactions.

So when Solomon says that a hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but one who is slow to anger quiets contention, that’s exactly what he’s talking about. We all can remember a time when someone blew up an already tense meeting by, well, blowing up. That time when you watched somebody go from (barely) holding their tongue to letting it fly, saying things you knew they would regret in a way that was very rough. It always just makes it worse.

But on the contrary, I’ve also seen people defuse potentially dangerous situations by simply being slow to anger. I’ve seen people of high character, with resolve and self-control, engage in dialogue honestly and respectfully in ways that took someone close to boiling over down a few notches. As capable as we are of making situations worse with our temper, we are equally capable of quieting contention with our self-control. 

So who will you be, when the situation comes? What will you do? Will you blow up and cause strife, or will you be slow to anger to quiet contention? The choice is yours. And the choice matters. More than you and I know.

-Brett