Of Wrath and Consequences

For Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Proverbs 19:19

A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,
for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.

You will have to bail him out of jail again, or defend him in the principal's office again, or speak up for him at work again, or whatever the circumstance may be. A person whose temper explodes gets himself into trouble time and again.

He may be a well-intentioned person; he may even be kind. But if he cannot control his temper, all of his good intentions and kindnesses are lost in the wave of his temper tantrums. It is the wrath that is remembered. It is the wrath that lingers about him. And sooner or later, he must pay the penalty. He lands in jail and does not get out. He is expelled from school. He is fired from his job. And it is his reputation as a "man of wrath" that stays pinned on him. He is disqualified for leadership; he cannot serve as an elder (1 Timothy 3:3).

At best he is tolerated. "You know _____. That's just the way he is." The best hope for him is not to be delivered from the consequences of his wrath, and thus be stirred enough to get the help he needs. Only humility is powerful enough to control anger, and humility comes through bearing the consequences of one's behavior.

Do you have a problem with wrath? You will not make headway until you own up to your sin and do not excuse it nor try to minimize its severity. Do not underestimate its power to ruin your reputation and destroy your successes. Humility is your only hope.