“A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression.” – Proverbs 19:11
Today, we will see how another personal discipline will help to free us from anger. Each of us has the freedom to not be angry. Every time we feel ourselves becoming provoked, we can choose to be calm, unprovoked, and loving instead. As the proverb tells us, it is our glory to overlook a transgression. If much anger comes from a failure to listen, how much more comes because we simply refuse to let something go?
Overlooking a transgression is not something that comes naturally to many of us. Instead many of us fail to use our discretion and do the exact opposite. We actively choose to look directly into a transgression, even those that were done inadvertently. When we push into something that irritates us or provokes us, we have lost sight of our duty to love others, and we step out of our obedience to God.
Do you see every opportunity to be provoked as a chance to honor God or pursue your sin? Those are the two choices we face every day. It is not simply about choosing anger or love; it is about choosing to love God or sin against Him. With the stakes that high, is your anger really all that important?
- Why do we actively choose anger when it is not good for us or honoring to God?
- When has someone overlooked your transgression against them?
- Confess the times you have failed to overlook a transgression and ask for forgiveness.
