June 29

Jun 29 - Today from Proverbs 29 we look at verse 11
"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." (NIV)
"A fool uttereth all his mind, but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards." (KJV)

This is a contrast of how two different people handle themselves in a provoking situation. One is a fool, the other is wise. What is the difference? One has learned that it is not prudent to give voice to your emotions when they are out of control.
What is a chief characteristic of a fool? It's a person who is self-absorbed. They can be fairly decent people to be around until you inconvenience them by interfering with their life the way they demand it to be, or you insult them by inferring that there may be things of higher priority than their particular preferences. When you do, they are very quick to let you know, and are prone to hurl curses as easily as they breathe. It is very difficult to reason with a fool. They become self-perpetuating victims of their own unpopular behavior. They also make very poor leaders. I know of some very bright business owners who are fortunate to have the foresight and to be gifted to have enough capital to hire a good PR person to deal with their clients. In such cases, the PR person essentially gets paid to take abuse from the owner so that the clients don't have to. There also may be a select few who have enough public talent to afford the luxury of being a public hot head. And from what I see of public figures who have earned such a reputation, they don't seem to be very happy people anyway. But most fools don't have enough money to hire a faithful whipping boy or enough popularity and/or talent to get away with abusing their public. Instead, they go through life being small people with attitudes that invite even more provocation.
What is the chief characteristic of a wise person? They seek to view life from God's perspective and to live life the way God meant it to be. There are two critically important factors involved; God's Word, and God's Spirit of Grace. Without them, one can never truly grow in wisdom. Granted, even wise people can tend to get angry when provoked. But a wise person has learned not to react in the heat of the moment. Our emotions can betray us, particularly when they are controlled by the flesh. Such anger can distort our perspective and cause us to do or say something that we might regret for a very long time. It's not easy living with regrets. It is wise to keep it in till afterwards. After what? After the flare of emotion has subsided and one is able to think more objectively about the situation. These are the kind of people who make good leaders. Notice the teacher says "keepeth it in till . . ." Until means to a point, and then after that point, you don't have to keep it in any more. Wisdom learns where that point is, and then what can be done about the situation after that point. That point would include recognizing that you are an ambassador of Christ, and you are responsible to represent His character in the matter (His character is found in the fruit of the Spirit). That point would include an attempt to take time and understand what the real issue or issues might be in the situation (surface issues are seldom the root of conflict). That point may even include praying in the time of temptation - when you are having difficulty controlling your own attitude. God gives grace to the humble. The wise learn to humble themselves when provoked. Then, whatever is needed to keep the situation under control, God will provide the sufficient grace.
Some psychiatrists say it's healthy to give full vent to your anger. Well, if you want to follow the counsel of the psychiatrists, grab a hammer and vent your anger on your automobile, or some other valuable inanimate object belonging to you. Then you will get an idea of the unseen damage done when you give full vent to your anger on people. It's pretty ugly. And remember, people are made in God's image! We're the people of God. We are called to honor Him. We do that by properly representing Him - even when we are provoked to anger.