Day 3

Five Proverbs about Anger

from the Proverbs reading plan

Read the Word

Proverbs 12:16 | Proverbs 14:16-17 | Proverbs 15:1,18 | Proverbs 25:28 | Proverbs 29:22

Reflect

You wake up with a headache, accidentally slam your finger in the drawer and then sit in traffic that makes you late for your important meeting. Just as you are pulling into your parking spot, you get hit by another car.  You jump out, and before the other driver can say a word, you erupt in rage Mount Vesuvius-style, spewing hot, angry words like molten lava. 

It’s easy to let our anger get the best of us. But the proverb-writers make it clear that venting our anger has damaging consequences. Notice that the wise counsel is not “don’t be angry,” but to be slow to get angry, and to meet anger in others with gentleness. Just the act of slowing down, thinking carefully before we act, and deciding if something is worth getting angry about has the power to diffuse many potentially ugly situations. It can be as simple as taking a deep breath (or three), counting slowing to 10 or walking away for a few minutes to cool off. As Proverbs 25:28 reminds us, when we are worked up, being self-aware enough to calm ourselves down not only protects us, but also those around us. 

Respond

Proverbs was written by wise people who observed the choices made by people around them. What have you observed about anger when you look at yourself and people close to you?

On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your ability to stay calm when provoked? Looking at today’s proverbs, what is something you can do to improve?

If you struggle with letting your anger get out of control, spend some time today talking to God about it and asking Him to help you in the future.