“Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.” (Ecclesiastes 7:9, NLT)
“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:9, ESV)
“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:9, ESV)
I have included the same verse of scripture from two different versions of the Bible. I have done so because they are both instructive. Both offer so much for you to ponder. Both speak about anger or frustration that boils up in your heart. In the New Living Translation of the Bible, the committee that put together the final text considered that the verse is about “controlling your anger”. If you do not get control of your anger, it will “label you a fool” for others to see. The second scripture above is the same verse from the English Standard Version of the Bible. It also focuses on anger or frustration that has boiled over into the person’s spirit. For the editors of this Bible edition, they suggest you “not be quick in your spirit” to resort to anger. They suggest that if you let anger or frustration boil over it will “lodge” in your heart and make you out to be a fool. The first version focuses on how your anger makes you look to others (like a fool). The second version focuses on the danger when anger lodges in your heart, making its way into your every thought. Both versions of the Bible are colorfully insightful for the Bible reader. Though both see the very same Hebrew words slightly differently, both point out the dangers of losing your temper and its long-term effects.
When frustration boils over into anger, how do you handle it. Have you been angry so often that it is already “lodged in your heart”? Do you have a problem controlling your temper? When your blood boils, are you quick to resort to angry shouts, passive aggressive comments, or give someone a long-term silent treatment? How do you control your temper? You know, there is only one letter difference between temper and tempter. In a way, there is a connection between letting your temper get away with you and being tempted to do something you will regret!
“It is said of one of the famous composers that he had a rebellious son who used to come in late at night after his father and mother had gone to bed. Before going to his own room, he would go to his father’s piano and slowly, as well as loudly, play a simple scale, all but the final note. Then leaving the scale uncompleted, he would retire to his room. Meanwhile the father, hearing the scale minus the final note, would writhe on his bed, his mind unable to relax because the scale was unresolved. Finally, in consternation, he would stumble down the stairs and hit the previously unstruck note. Only then would his mind surrender to sleep once again.” (George MacDonald, Restoring Your Spiritual Passion)
The composer’s son knew his father could not stand to let a scale go unfinished. Because the son knew his father would be frustrated beyond all belief by the incomplete scale, the son could play this game in order to drive his father crazy. The son knew that his father could not control his own “consternation”. He could not stand for an incomplete scale. The son used this information to prey upon his father’s frustration.
There are people in this world who will frustrate you. They will push your buttons. They will do the wrong things, on purpose or by accident. There are also problems or irritations that will cause your blood pressure to rise. There are situations that will be fraught with difficulties or frustrations. People sometimes do not think rationally. Emotions are sometimes hard to control. Life is not predictable. Issues will always come up. Challenges will present themselves. Opinions may spark revolt. Age differences may cause misunderstandings. All these things are a part of life. How you deal with them is up to you. Are you going to let these irritabilities and annoyances and frustrations boil over into anger? Will you let the anger lodge in your heart? Will there be a time when you could “pop off” at any moment?
An angry, old miser had difficulty parting with his money. He hated paying for anything and everything. He had enough money in the bank to live a comfortable life. However, he always worried that if he started to spend his money, it would soon run out. Because of this fear, he never spent one penny he wasn’t forced to nor even paid for a person for help.
One morning, the old miser found that his kitchen faucet was dripping. He tightened and tightened the knobs on the sink to no avail. The washers or seat inside the shutoff were worn. At first, the miser let the thing drip. He wasn’t going to pay no plumber the going rate. He would just ignore the problem and keep his well-earned money. However, after a few hours, the noise began to grate on his nerves. In the quiet of the night, he could hear it drip from his bedroom. It kept him up at night. Then, the thought of wasting that water began to eat at his nerves all the more. He would not pay for a plumber to fix the problem, yet he felt guilty at having to pay a higher water bill. For weeks, the drip frayed at his nerves.
When the miser’s neighbor came over to check on him, the old man treated him poorly. He yelled and cursed at him. When the paper boy delivered the paper on the front lawn instead of the steps, he spent the next two afternoons waiting for the paper boy to show up so he could glare at him and complain to him how he had missed the steps. More and more, the miser was getting angry at everyone and everything.
After the police were called to the miser’s home due to a complaint, the police contacted the miser’s daughter. She came over to check on her father. He yelled at her, complained about her husband, and talked about all the things her children were doing wrong. Finally, she looked at him and said, “Dad, why do you show me so much hate when I’m trying to care for you?” He didn’t answer. Upon leaving, the daughter saw the leaky faucet in the kitchen and the next week sent over a plumber to fix it. The miser didn’t even have to pay for the repair. In the end, the $200 bill took care of the drip, drip, drip. Sadly, the $200 couldn’t fix the miser’s anger which had only grown more lodged in his heart. Oh, the drip was gone for now, but that noise in his furnace was growing louder by the week. I wonder what it will do to his anger in the future.
If you feel overwhelmed by an anger or frustration that boils over, there is a way to control your temper. Give it over to God. Let it go. Get used to the fact that you can’t fix everything, that life is full of little and big challenges, and that you can’t control people. Out of a greater love of God, let go of any anger that has lodged in your heart. Replace your thoughts of anger with thoughts of all the blessings in your life. Focus on the good. Do not be consumed by wrongs or evils or sins. Commune with God. Speak to God in prayer about all those small and big things that are eating away at your peace. Then, let your beautiful Savior bring mercy and peace to your ailing heart and soul and mind. You don’t have to let anger or frustration or consternation stew in your heart or soul or mind. If it lodges there, it can only lead to temptation or worse.
When frustration boils over into anger, how do you handle it. Have you been angry so often that it is already “lodged in your heart”? Do you have a problem controlling your temper? When your blood boils, are you quick to resort to angry shouts, passive aggressive comments, or give someone a long-term silent treatment? How do you control your temper? You know, there is only one letter difference between temper and tempter. In a way, there is a connection between letting your temper get away with you and being tempted to do something you will regret!
“It is said of one of the famous composers that he had a rebellious son who used to come in late at night after his father and mother had gone to bed. Before going to his own room, he would go to his father’s piano and slowly, as well as loudly, play a simple scale, all but the final note. Then leaving the scale uncompleted, he would retire to his room. Meanwhile the father, hearing the scale minus the final note, would writhe on his bed, his mind unable to relax because the scale was unresolved. Finally, in consternation, he would stumble down the stairs and hit the previously unstruck note. Only then would his mind surrender to sleep once again.” (George MacDonald, Restoring Your Spiritual Passion)
The composer’s son knew his father could not stand to let a scale go unfinished. Because the son knew his father would be frustrated beyond all belief by the incomplete scale, the son could play this game in order to drive his father crazy. The son knew that his father could not control his own “consternation”. He could not stand for an incomplete scale. The son used this information to prey upon his father’s frustration.
There are people in this world who will frustrate you. They will push your buttons. They will do the wrong things, on purpose or by accident. There are also problems or irritations that will cause your blood pressure to rise. There are situations that will be fraught with difficulties or frustrations. People sometimes do not think rationally. Emotions are sometimes hard to control. Life is not predictable. Issues will always come up. Challenges will present themselves. Opinions may spark revolt. Age differences may cause misunderstandings. All these things are a part of life. How you deal with them is up to you. Are you going to let these irritabilities and annoyances and frustrations boil over into anger? Will you let the anger lodge in your heart? Will there be a time when you could “pop off” at any moment?
An angry, old miser had difficulty parting with his money. He hated paying for anything and everything. He had enough money in the bank to live a comfortable life. However, he always worried that if he started to spend his money, it would soon run out. Because of this fear, he never spent one penny he wasn’t forced to nor even paid for a person for help.
One morning, the old miser found that his kitchen faucet was dripping. He tightened and tightened the knobs on the sink to no avail. The washers or seat inside the shutoff were worn. At first, the miser let the thing drip. He wasn’t going to pay no plumber the going rate. He would just ignore the problem and keep his well-earned money. However, after a few hours, the noise began to grate on his nerves. In the quiet of the night, he could hear it drip from his bedroom. It kept him up at night. Then, the thought of wasting that water began to eat at his nerves all the more. He would not pay for a plumber to fix the problem, yet he felt guilty at having to pay a higher water bill. For weeks, the drip frayed at his nerves.
When the miser’s neighbor came over to check on him, the old man treated him poorly. He yelled and cursed at him. When the paper boy delivered the paper on the front lawn instead of the steps, he spent the next two afternoons waiting for the paper boy to show up so he could glare at him and complain to him how he had missed the steps. More and more, the miser was getting angry at everyone and everything.
After the police were called to the miser’s home due to a complaint, the police contacted the miser’s daughter. She came over to check on her father. He yelled at her, complained about her husband, and talked about all the things her children were doing wrong. Finally, she looked at him and said, “Dad, why do you show me so much hate when I’m trying to care for you?” He didn’t answer. Upon leaving, the daughter saw the leaky faucet in the kitchen and the next week sent over a plumber to fix it. The miser didn’t even have to pay for the repair. In the end, the $200 bill took care of the drip, drip, drip. Sadly, the $200 couldn’t fix the miser’s anger which had only grown more lodged in his heart. Oh, the drip was gone for now, but that noise in his furnace was growing louder by the week. I wonder what it will do to his anger in the future.
If you feel overwhelmed by an anger or frustration that boils over, there is a way to control your temper. Give it over to God. Let it go. Get used to the fact that you can’t fix everything, that life is full of little and big challenges, and that you can’t control people. Out of a greater love of God, let go of any anger that has lodged in your heart. Replace your thoughts of anger with thoughts of all the blessings in your life. Focus on the good. Do not be consumed by wrongs or evils or sins. Commune with God. Speak to God in prayer about all those small and big things that are eating away at your peace. Then, let your beautiful Savior bring mercy and peace to your ailing heart and soul and mind. You don’t have to let anger or frustration or consternation stew in your heart or soul or mind. If it lodges there, it can only lead to temptation or worse.