Overcome anger

Proverbs 16:32

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, 

and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. 

You have great power - do you know that? 

The power this verse speaks of is not physical strength, but the great power and ability of self-control.

Getting angry is easy, it's easy to see things that annoy us in everyday life. 

Confession time: one of my great annoyances is that people don't put their shoes away, seems silly, but it gets on my nerves! They are in the way when you want to get in the door or down the stairs, let alone a trip hazard... - see it's easy to take something and wind ourselves up with it. What is harder is to go through the daily routine of asking everyone to put their shoes away, every day, even several times a day. This has been going on for years now - the shoe fiasco, yet it's a daily request I put before my family. I shall truly rejoice the day the floor is uncluttered with shoes! 

The thing is, I have a choice in all this.

I can choose to think along the lines of 'why haven't they got it by now?', but what benefit would that be to everyone? It would increase the anger level for everyone which isn't the end result I want. The amount of explaining and imploring I do doesn't matter, everyone probably knows my explanations off by heart by now so there's no point going over it everyday. Yet, the shoes remain. So, for my own peace it is now a daily request, not an argument or sore point. Yes, it is annoying. Don't get me wrong -every time I see the shoes piled up all over the place I kind of sigh with agitation, but better that than dwell on it and allow anger to take over.

Now, I know my example probably seems really silly to some of you, it's probably not something that everyone would get agitated by, but we all have our everyday annoyances. What I would like you to ask yourself is, how does it effect you and those around you? Do you explode in a fit of anger, or silently seethe resentment? Both reactions don't do you any good.

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, 

and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. 

Imagine what it would be like to overcome something of that anger. 

To not allow the daily irritations to culminate in you feeling angry. It not easy. It takes practice, patience and perseverance and sometimes even then we lose it a bit. What I'd like you to know is -  it is possible to not be overcome by anger. 

It is down to you. Not anyone else. 

You have the amazing ability to control your reactions. You have been given a strong will. It is your responsibility to use it. 

Reading the above verse, I hope, empowers you. It shows that the strength inside of you is greater than the strength required to overcome cities! You have the ability, the strength to control your responses. It's easy to get carried away with ourselves and exercise no self-control, yet you will feel powerless not powerful.

I pray that as you read this, you will be motivated and strengthened to demonstrate the power of self-control within you so that your spirit becomes mighty. You are a conqueror. Being able to conquer inner turmoil is a greater victory than overcoming a city.