He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city. Proverbs 16:32

It is interesting that the wisdom of God puts greater value on persistant patience, longsuffering, and goodness than on sheer physical strength. Self-control was something that was more valued than military heroism. Who truly is the strong man? Is he the guy who can flex his muscles and take up a sword and lead an army? Or could it be the one who can control his own passions and prevent a battle from ever needing to take place?

Could it be that part of the downfall of Goliath was the anger with which he carried out his attack on David? Could it be that in running to the battle line, he did not take care to fight not just with strength, but with wisdom? Could it be that Egypt's anger and rage led them to ride foolishly into the midst of the Red Sea - when everything should have told them to halt their attack? So often the ability to rule our spirit is one of the most difficult things we have to do in life. To halt our tongue from speaking in anger - to refrain from entering the fray when our feelings are hurt - to stop a fight before it begins - all these are not easy things to do - and require a depth and strength of character that is often lacking in men and women.

Samson was indeed a strong, mighty man - physically. But he did not "rule his spirit" at all when it came to anger - and other more dangerous passions. In the end - though he did many mighty acts of valor - he was overcome by the wiles of a woman who knew his lack of control over his spirit. Great fighters know how to get their opponents angry - for then they will no longer be controlled by their mind - but by their rage. It is in such moments that the majority of them make a fatal mistake - and the more talented - more controlled boxer - finds his opening and knocks out his opponent with little more than a blow or two.

We too need to be men who not just physically are strong - but are spiritually and morally strong as well. But the truly wise among us know that such a feat of strength is beyond our flesh. It is only Christ Who truly mastered sin and took it to the grave with Him. He rose victorious over it - and granted to us, through His resurrection, the power to win this illusive victory. It is His power that will allow us to master the most difficult foe of all - that of mastery of our own spirit. Then, dear brothers and sisters, is when we are truly mighty - when we are truly strong - and when we are truly a champion. Just know that the only way this can happen is by coming to know and walk with the ONLY Champion - Jesus Christ!

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute.   Proverbs 15:18

Whenever we face a situation where we can react in anger we have a choice.  I know that some don't think so because they say that so-in-so made me angry - or such-and-such a situation made me mad.  The facts would say something much different.  They say that we control our temperment - not that circumstances and people control what we do.  Today's proverb helps us understand this.  Each day as we begin to interact with people and face a world filled with its varicolored situations, we need to do so making a conscious choice.  What that choice should be is the topic of God's wise counsel to us in this verse.

We have a choice whether we are going to be "hot-tempered" or not.  The Hebrew word for "hot-tempered" is very instructive and descriptive here.  It is "chemah" and means to be rage-filled, angry, and filled with poison or venom.  This is fascinating because we need to make a conscious choice not to have the venom and poison of the evil one flowing through our veins as we walk through our day.  By this I am not saying that we are demon possessed or anything fantastical like that.  Instead I refer to a much more subtle thing that energizes the strife that will follow such a man through his day.  Let me explain.

Each day we live we interact with others and with our environment from morning to night.  As we do this we have both problems and problem people come into our lives.  It is possible as we do this to be bitten by the evil one in such a way that his venom and poison enters our system.  This usually happens when someone hurts our feelings - or tramples what we perceive to be our right to be treated better or with a certain modicum of respect.  It can also happen when we begin to entertain the thought that a certain set of providential circumstances are a raw deal.  If we are not careful to cry out to God to remove such venom from the veins of our thinking and our heart - it can begin to do its insidious work in us.  Over time this poison will turn to bitterness against someone - resentment grows to a point where what at first was an annoyance becomes a seething cauldron of anger and rage toward someone.  In regard to circumstances that our God allows providentially in our lives, we can think Him cruel and uncaring.  This poison will turn our hearts a deep shade of bitter - and we soon find it hard to read His Word, pray, and ultimately to trust Hiim to cause all things to work for good.  As the infection spreads deeper in our reasoning, we soon become angry at our core - which is where this one is in this verse.  Thus the temper of his soul is such that he is constantly stirring up strife.  I've known men over the years who say that trouble seems to follow them.  But in a majority of the cases, they were one who had allowed the venom of the evil one through slights and circumstantial difficulties to  reach a critical mass in their hearts.  The trouble they perceived to follow them - really was trouble that they encoruaged because they are so angry in their core.  I've even watched this in some who do this not through active agression - but through passive-agressive actions and words (or the lack of them). 

There is another choice we can make in the Lord.  That is that we become those who calm disputes.  These are those who have at their core a work of the grace of God that makes them slow to anger.  The Hebrew word used for this is one that is also used to describe long pinions - which are the largest feathers on the wing of birds.  These particular feathers are used in birds to reduce drag on their wings thus helping them control both the wind and the turbulence that is natural in the sky while they fly.  What an astounding picture this is for us of the patient, long-suffering man who chooses to calm disputes rather than fuel them.  Like a bird who uses their long pinions to ride the wind while diffusing the problems it causes - these people ride the events of everyday life.  They choose to deflect and diffuse both the insults and indignities of life - as well as the problematic providences that we cannot change.  Rather than  having such things make their flight a bumpy one, their choice to be slow to anger allows them to ride the difficulties of living on earth rather than having the things of earth ride rough-shod over them.

A wise man knows that life is not going to be fair - neither is it going to bow down and kiss his feet every day.  He knows that since we live in a fallen world, that he will run into fallen people who act . . . well, they act fallen.  Therefore he chooses to turn to God, who deals with the indignities of over 7 billion people daily, and yet who does not consume them with His wrath.  This grace daily allows him to stretch forth his spiritual pinions and diffuse the problems and the poison that would turn him from being a peaceful, gracious man into an angry strife-ridden one.  May God give us mercy that we would be such men and women.

A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones. Proverbs 14:30

The heart is physically one of the most important organs of our body. If the heart is stopped the body will die. But what we read in today's proverb is not dealing with the physical heart. It speaks of the heart as the innermost region of our lives. The Hebrew mind looked at the heart as the central, spiritual, inward aspect of our souls. So when we look today at the issue of the heart and whether it is tranquil and strong - or whether it is tossed about and weak - means everything to the blessedness of the individual who struggles with issues of the heart.

The tranquil heart is the quiet one. What God is saying here is that this person's heart is strong and quiet. Their inner life is like the clear, mirror-like, state of the water in the early morning on a lake. This person's peace and calm is not disturbed by things that happen around it. The "soul-life" is strong and they can deal with problems and difficulties. There is an ultimate sense of peace here, because this one knows that God is sovereign over all things. They know they are in God's hand no matter what their circumstances look like. The Word of God is their comfort - and they will hold to it no matter what information in life seems to contradict it.

On the other hand there is a person who has "passion" in his life. The proverb tells us that this passion is like a rottenness in his bones. Things like jealousy, anger, over-zealousness, and envy run rampant in this one's heart. As a result there is no stability in him. These things run roughshod over his peace and contentment. There is a constant passion running wild within this man - almost pushing him from one extreme to another. And like a rottenness in his bones - he feels more and more like all stability and peace is gone from him.

One might wonder the source of such a peace. It is the knowledge of the gospel that brings us to peace with God. If there is peace between us and our God, then we are at peace with Him - and know peace in our souls. I've watched as strong believers have gone through the most trying of times, but they do so with tranquility. That is what the gospel of Jesus Christ looks like - and even more what it produces. If our sovereign God holds us and holds all the universe - we can trust Him.

He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly. Proverbs 14:29

We see throughout the book of Proverbs that a quick temper is a negative thing in a person's life. It can get us into a world of trouble. Here we read that the man who is quick-tempered exalts folly. Giving in to anger, resentment, and bitterness in our lives only exalts folly. The idea here expressed is that it is the "unthinking" and "unreasoning" way to live our lives. Anyone can become frustrated or angry and then give in to having a blowout that involves a temper flaring up and expressing itself in hurtful words or actions. That exalts stupidity and living foolishly. What then, can keep us from exalting folly by being quick-tempered?

The Bible says that someone who is slow to anger has great understanding. The word for understanding here is "tebunah" and it means to have both understanding and insight. It is taking both knowledge and wisdom and applying it in a way that helps us look into our anger and examine it before reacting. That indeed is wisdom. We need to ask ourselves the question, "Why am I so angry about this?" Looking into our reaction often will make us ask deeper questions and deal on a deeper level than just saying, "I'm so angry about this!"

When we probe our anger we need to be ready to run into personal issues that exist on the inside of our lives. I will never forget the shock it was to me when an older, wiser man told me the reason I got so angry with my children was because of my pride. On the inside I wanted to snap back that it was their disobedience that was making me mad - not something wrong with me. In no way was this man saying I should not have disciplined them for being disobedient and rebellious - he was only saying that I needed to see why at times I felt out of control while doing it. His wise counsel was that my pride and anger came from a desire to control my children - so they would never disobey. My reason behind this thought was that my kids made me look bad as a parent when they disobeyed - and that made me angry. A wise parent would know that children are GOING to be disobedient because they are sons of Adam.

The fall of man will ensure that every child will be disobedient and rebellious in some way. Therefore having a disobedient child does not mean you are a bad parent. A parent who is failing in their role is one who does not discipline his or her child for their disobedience. I was failing not because I was disciplining my child - but becasue at times I was doing so in anger. My anger was foolish because I was expecting my child never to disobey - so I would look good in other people's eyes. Therefore my anger - when disected with understanding - was due to a couple of foolish things. First, I was not grasping the true nature of a child. Second, I was wanting my child to be good so I would not be bothered with having to interrupt MY DAY with things I did not want to do. Third, the reason I wanted a "good child" was so that my glory could be advanced. When looking at my quick-tempered responses suddenly I was a little horrified (understatement of the year) at their root. It was pride! Therefore wisdom applied - understanding deepened - and a willingness to have the Holy Spirit probe deeper into my motivations yielded repentance . . . and it yielded an ability over time to be much slower to anger.

Let me encourage any of you who are struggling with being quick-tempered. Take the time to submit yourself to the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to take you deeper into your angry responses in order to look at them and see them at the level of your heart motivations. He will walk you through this process and will help you to understand why you have a quick-temper at times. I will not say that this is pleasant - but God will do it with a view to repentance and restoration. He will do so with great grace and comfort - as well as a little heart surgery that will help you to become someone who is far more slow to anger. You will find that His grace and His gospel will be enough to turn from quick-tempered foolishness to patient love and understanding.

A fool's anger is known at once, But a prudent man conceals dishonor.  Proverbs 12:16

Ours is a society driven by rights and by slights.  We are told that we have rights - and as a result of this education we demand them all the time.  One of the rights that evidently is near the top of the list is the right never to be offended.  That is why we have political correct language that is being ever more strictly enforced in our nation.  We cannot say things that will offend anyone else.  If the society determines that a certain word or phrase is no longer allowed - that word or phrase is banished from our circles.  If someone were so foolish as to speak that word of phrase - he too will be banished - even fired from his job.  If he is in the public eye - he will be summarily destroyed and cast upon the trash heap for the foreseeable future - possibly forever.  We are the nation with the greatest law protecting free speech (our first ammendment) but also the greatest number of unwritten laws that restrict our speech as well as punish any who dare step over the line. 

Our proverb today would help us greatly with our problems societally.  We are first warned that only a fool's anger is known at once.  The fool has no patience, therefore he is often disgusted and angry with others around him.  He takes up the slighest offence - whether overt or covert - and becomes vexed about it immediately.  The word for anger here is the Hebrew word "kaas" which means to be provoked to anger.  The problem is that this man is easily provoked - and lets his anger blow the moment that he is.  As we read here - his anger is know at once.  He is unable to control himself - and also unable to let things roll off his back like water off of a duck.  Every slight - every potential offence is taken to the deepest part of his being and fully embraced.  There is little wonder therefore that he has a tendency to lose it whenever this happens.  He is offended - angry - disgusted - and filled with rage toward whoever has knowingly or unknowingly slighted him. 

The prudent man is the one who conceals this anger and offence.  He is able to ignore the slights and snubs of life.  He is able to deal with the insults and general indignities of living in the fallen world.  Because he knows the world is fallen - he is aware that things like this are bound to happen.  Because he knows he too is fallen - he is aware of the need to be gracious and kind as he carries on life in this world.  He has learned to conceal dishonor.  The word for dishonor here parallels the Hebrew word for forgiveness.  He chooses to forgive and show mercy and grace rather than demand judgment and justice for every slight.  He has learned that the merciful are blessed, for they too receive mercy. 

Learning to be a prudent and wise man in this way will help you live much longer.  The word prudent here is the Hebrew word "arum" which has the idea of being sensible.  A sensible man knows that unless he wants his world to be in a continual state of stress, anger, rage, and bitter unforgiveness - he needs to let insults and vexation they can cause roll off of him.  By this he keeps his blood pressure down - and his friendships up.  If you are prone to become angry and blow off steam in almost every situation beware.  You are ruining your own life and living like a fool.  Be wise - be understanding - and be aware of the fallen world in which you live.  Show mercy and grace - for it will bring you joy even in the midst of a world filled with plenty of ways to become frustrated and angered.

A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of evil devices is hated.  Proverbs 14:17

One of the most often repeated mistakes in life is reacting in anger quickly and because we do, making very foolish choices.  That is what today's proverb warns against.  We are told that a quick-tempered man acts foolishly.  This quick-temper means to have a temper that is hasty in what it says and does.  It is a man filled with impatience and has what a Hebrew would refer to as a "short spirit."  The idea behind this concept is a man who is not truly in control of his spirit.  When something happens that irritates him - he reacts quickly.  He is weak in his moral disposition - and therefore will be prone to outbursts of anger and temper. 

The real problem this poses is that the man who is so "quick-tempered" is unable to make wise decisions.  Wise decisions are made because we can step back from things and see them from God's perspective.  The quick-tempered man cannot do this.  He reacts quickly to problems and irritations in life.  The quick knee-jerk reactions he makes gets him into a world of hurt.  A fool does not think through what he is about to say or do.  A wise man considers his words and steps and often resists saying or doing things that wisdom counsels against doing and saying. 

The second half of this proverb says that a man of evil devices is hated.  The words "evil devices" is the Hebrew word, "mezimmah" which means a plan or thought.  This term is used to describes the evil plans, schemes, and plots of humanity that are contrary to the will and Word of God.  How is this related to the first half of this proverb?  The plans and schemes that arise out of anger and rage are more than you can ever imagine.  So often a person who has committed a murder or some other heinous crime did so because he or she was acting in anger.  Someone has deeply offended them - or hurt them deeply - and instead of acting with wisdom and tempering their reaction - they want to act.  Some grab a gun and shoot someone, killing them in the heat of their passionate outrage.  Others blow their stack and then simmer in their anger until it moves them to hatch a horrible plot that they will wind up regretting for the rest of their lives.  Just as the proverb says, the one who acts on this evil plot or scheme is hated.  It does not matter what originally motivated them to these actions, others hate the outcome of their hatred, anger, and evil devices. 

We are reminded in this proverb that patience IS a virtue!  We are to be slow to anger - and rich in mercy - just like our God and Father.  These things will keep us from reacting in our anger and doing something truly foolish.

A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back. Proverbs 29:11

Anger is a difficult thing to manage because too often it is upon us before we realize it - and then we face the task of having to hold it back - to keep it from rising to the surface and exploding.  We are told in this passage that a fool always loses his temper.  That means that he has no control over his spirit.  Words like "always" and "never" are not used lightly in the Scriptures - so we see that someone who is always losing their temper - truly is a fool.

A very wise man once told me that the reason we become angry (in a sinful way) is because we cannot control something we desperately want to control.  Therefore when we become angry in a particular situation, it is because we want to control that situation - and are not content to submit ourselves to God's sovereignty and providence.  When we become angry with someone - it is because they are acting in a way that we cannot control.  We are not content to submit ourselves to God in serving them - even if they do not act in a way that is consistent with how "WE" would control them if we could.  Needless to say, I suddenly understood the core problem with much of my anger.  I was a fool who wanted to control everything according to my will - rather than living according to God's will.  I was not willing to thank God for all things and in all things.  I found His providence annoying - at least to the way that I would have been God if I could be.  Much conviction ensued - followed by repentance for thinking I was wiser than God.  Time and space does not permit me to relate how often after that I was able, by submission and surrender to God's perfect wisdom and control of my providence, to hold back my temper and anger by the working of His Spirit.

What is interesting about this proverb is that we are told that the wise man "holds" his temper back.  The word used for the holding back of our temper is the Hebrew word "shabach," which means to soothe or to still something.  Here it is used of anger that rises up within us.  The actual word for "temper" here is "ruach" which means spirit.  We learn to hold back our spirit when it wants to react in anger.  We should know from the rest of Scripture that more than one spirit can be expressed through us.  When James and John wanted to call down fire on some who rejected Jesus - our Lord responded by rebuking the two brothers.  He told them that they did not know what "spirit" they were of when they made that request.  Peter, when he told Jesus He could never go to the cross, was called Satan - because that is whose spirit was expressed through Peter.  The wise man therefore knows how to hold back the wrong kind of spirit from coming forth from him.  When angry it is easy to not soothe and control what kind of spirit comes forth from us - but we still need to soothe our spirits and make sure that what comes forth from us is not the flesh, not the wrong demonicly inspired spirit.  We need to have the spirit of God - who is patient, kind, and full of self-control - soothe our anger and keep us from reacting in rage or anger.  A wise man knows this - and practices it when he senses anger begin to rise up within him.

When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest. Proverbs 29:9

This proverb I've affectionately named the "Bill Maher proverb."  That is because he, along with many other social liberals invite one Christian to sit on a panel with him and 2-3 other liberals.  As the program unfolds, this proverb is lived out over and over again.  If the Christian is wise at all, he will begin to present biblical truth, and at that point the controversy, the rage, and the mockery begin.  The poor Christian is usually shouted down in the midst of making any points - and the end of the matter is that he or she looks like the fool - which was the purpose of the whole exercise anyway.  After watching this three or four different times, I came to the conclusion that any Bible-believing Christian who went on this, or other programs like it, was as much of a fool as the other fools sitting on the panel.

The nature of a foolish man is to mock the things of God.  Therefore when a wise man begins to have a controversy or argument with a foolish man - he needs to know that reason or fair-minded debate will most likely not be involved in what is about to take place.  This passage tells us that what will happen is that the foolish man will "rage" against the wise man.  The word used for rage here is "ragaz" and it means to shake, tremble, be agitated, be disturbed, or be provoked.  As soon as a fool hears the Word of God, he will come to the place where he will blow like a stick of dynamite.  The fool recognizes no authority but his own.  We read elsewhere in Proverbs that the fool only delights in airing his own opinions - and only respects his own thoughts.  The idea of a God Who reveals to us absolute truth is an utter outrage to the fool.  He is enraged at the thought of anyone claiming to have a truth that can stand in judgment over his ideas - as accurate and marvelous as they are.  So when he hears a wise man (who is wise because he has learned to submit himself to what is revealed in Scripture) start to quote the Bible as an authority - BOOM! - he explodes in a rage against the wise man (yet actually he is enraged at God more than anyone else). 

The other response from the fool is to laugh at God's principles and God's Word.  This is basically done by mocking God.  Bill Maher did it by doing the movie, "Religuous."  Others have done it a myriad of different ways over the years.  Interestingly enough, most of them are dead and have the horrendous problem of explaining to God why they felt such liberty to mock Him and His Word - which is what Mr. Maher will face also if he does not come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  Regardless of how they go about mocking God, they do, and in the end there is no peace.  There isn't any because the fool is not about to have the wise man come away from the encounter or controversy looking good at all. 

A wise man recognizes when he is in a controversy with a fool.  He recognizes it usually because the fool will not argue reasonably, but will quickly resort to mocking, name calling, and specious arguments.  At that point the best thing a wise man can do is step away from the situation as quickly and as gracefully as he can.  The encounter will not result in a peaceful resolution.  Rage and mocking laughter will happen - but not peace.  The best thing you can do for the foolish man is pray for him, love him, and not offer him the public platform to mock God.  That is why the wise man will turn down the offer to appear on such programs - saving himself the breath, the time, and the humiliation that will come if he chooses unwisely to attend.

Scorners set a city aflame, But wise men turn away anger. Proverbs 29:8

As I sit here are write this day's "Little Bit of Wisdom," I am in a local bookstore in front of the political section.  No place is really a better example of our proverb today that this section.  Scorners in America are setting our nation aflame.  Hopefully before our nation bursts into a conflagration of mutually hated political groups - racial groups - and economic groups, we will have wise men rise up who will turn away our anger and propose solutions for our nation - without all the incindiary rhetoric.

The scorner is the one who is causing so much harm in this proverb.  The Hebrew word used here is "lason" and it means a scoffer, a mocker and refers to someone who is foolish, arrogant, and who believes their own bragging talk.  Elsewhere in the Scriptures this one is referred to as a babbler.  Their lack of wisdom from God makes them think that they themselves are god.  Thus they begin to consider themselves infallible on certain matters.  Their lack of any Biblical wisdom also means that they have a worldview that is based out of a fallen, selfish, God-despising heart.  They laugh and scoff at the 10 commandments - and think that life is far better without the Word of God clouding their minds and thinking.  These men come up with philosophies that reject God, exalt man - and that in the end encourage sin and wickedness.  Their scorning talk about God and how life should be - sets the city on fire.  What is meant here is that they inflame the minds of the people against God and His ways.

As history progresses we watch God rejected - and the world set on fire again and again with philosophies that bring destruction to mankind.  Darwin's theory of orgins that rejects God seems innocent enough - but the philosophies that degenerated out of it have caused great destruction.  Adolph Hitler took Darwin's theory seriously and came to believe that the Germanic people were the super-race.  The logical conclusion of Darwinian origins was that survival of the fittest required the destruction of the weaker and less desirable elements of the world so that the next step of evolution could come unhindered.  That kind of "inflamed thinking" led him and the leadership in Germany to systematically murder over 6 million people.  In the African continent we've watched in horror as philosophies and the inflamed rhetoric of national and racist pride have led one tribe and ethnic group to practice an ethnic cleansing of another group which they hate.  The ensuing slaughter that took place in the name of ethnic pride was nothing short of a nightmare.  When men reject God and His Word - bad things happen.  When the hiss of their viper-like philosophies begins to catch the world around them on fire - the end game makes for destruction on a scale that is hard to comprehend. 

Wise men know that such passions are rottenness in men's bones.  Their desire is to be the sons of God who are peacemakers.  They seek to turn away wrath - knowing that these passions when loosed are like pandora's box.  They are difficult, if not impossible to recapture.  All of Europe was set on fire by the twin philosophies of Nazism and Facism.  The world has yet to see the full damage that has resulted from the godless political philosophy of Communism.  Wise men will do all that they can to expose these false philosophies for what they are - the dangerous fires of scoffers who desire to set an entire city - if not an entire country aflame. 

There is an ultimate end to the scorner's tale.  Their will be an eternal fire that will burn the adversaries of God.  The ultimate scorner, Satan himself, has be behind the carnage that is produced by rejecting God and His Word.  He started it all with the question, "Has God said?" in the garden - and has been asking that question to the sons of Adam ever since.  All their wicked philosophies are simply the lie he uttered to Eve when he said, "You will not die!"  He has sought to inflame minds to think that God is withholding something from them when He forbids sin.  Countless billions have listened to his lies - and unfortunately they will be ultimately set afire for eternity in the lake of fire for their rebellion.  But . . . a wise man will turn away wrath.  Mankind deserves the wrath of God that will come for their rebellion.  But the Lord God has provided a way of salvation in Jesus Christ.  He has poured out wrath on His only begotten Son - having Him bear the wrath and punishment on the cross.  He died, was buried, and resurrected on the third day - all according to God's wise plan to turn away wrath.  Now, truly wise man take the good news of that truth - of that infinite mercy - and proclaim a provision of grace to rebels.  These wise men - as they watch the Spirit of God convict men of their sin - show them Jesus Christ - and grant them repentance and faith - turn away wrath one person at a time.  May God increase their number among mankind - and may the flames of the scorners be put out in the minds of those who are granted that His glorious grace that comes through Jesus Christ His Son.