“A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but one slow to anger calms strife” (Proverbs 15:18)
In this passage we see a comparison between the hot-tempered person and the one slow to anger, and what the outcomes are between the two. But what does this mean for you and me? And more importantly, the gospel? Some of us might be naturally hot-tempered and ready to pounce, and others not bothered by a single thing, which has its own set of challenges, but knowing the impact of our responses in both circumstances can either diminish or display God’s work in our lives.
The reality is that we all get heated, and even angry, for many reasons. Whether it is because we’ve been wronged, taken advantage of, or disrespected, this passage is clearly focusing on the negative result our hot-temperedness may have created. What results is even the blindness to the forgiveness of God and his command for us to forgive. Rather than seeking understanding and forgiveness, the conflict is put on full display, only increasing the hurt, pain, and separation all parties feel. This is contrary to what God desires for us, and more importantly, our relationship with Him.
We are called to be slow to anger, just as the Psalmist says our Lord is (Ps. 103:8). This is not at all to say that we can’t have strong feelings one way or another, but being slow to anger allows for us to pause, be led by the Spirit, and calm the strife to create peace. To be clear, being slow to anger is not ignoring problems or wishing it away, but through action and speaking up in love. Every situation is unique so we need godly wisdom to navigate them and bring peace between brothers and sisters. Through peacemaking and being slow to anger we display the forgiveness that we have received from God through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection to the family of God as a reminder, and even reveal to the unbeliever the forgiveness that can be theirs as well. Being slow to anger and a peacemaker is not easy, but as Jesus, our Prince of Peace taught us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9).