#WISDOMSample

Losing It

I have had the experience of completely losing it.

Typically, the situation is this: long day, lots of challenges at work, difficult conversations and little irritations have come up throughout the day. I get in the car and head out into traffic to come home.

People cut me off. People won’t pay attention at the light. People won’t turn when there’s a green turn arrow, but instead they look both ways.

The heat starts to build. I can feel it in my neck, and then it just explodes. Horn blasting, and I’m basically shouting in my car for my own benefit. I just lose it.

Anger always finds a way to escape.

Anger causes tremendous issues in our lives. Jesus even said that the distance between anger at someone and murdering them is pretty short because anger basically devalues someone else to the point where we’d be okay if they weren’t alive. (See Matthew 5:21-22.) The word “contempt” comes to mind here (e.g., you’re in my way; you’re not worth paying attention to or respecting; it’d be better if you weren’t there; I can’t control what’s going on with you there).

The wisdom of God has a lot to do with disarming our anger. Anger makes us do things we don’t want to, like lash out (Proverbs 14:3) or act without thinking (Proverbs 14:8). Anger makes really intelligent people act foolish (Proverbs 14:17) and miss the consequences of angry actions (Proverbs 14:12).

So what’s the other side? What does wisdom bring us that helps deal with anger?

One word: patience.

“Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.” (Proverbs 14:29)

Patience is one of the wisest virtues because it helps us stop, listen, and assess reality. Patience keeps us from acting too quickly and violently based on simply what we’re feeling.

Patience helps us take a deep breath and see, really and truly, what matters most.

As you read today’s Proverb, think about how patience and anger have appeared in your life recently. What can chasing after God’s wisdom do in helping you find patience that gives life rather than the anger that takes it away?