Overcome Anger Through Self-Control and Forgiveness

Proverbs 19:11  

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.

Anger is a serious issue in the lives of many people. It can be displayed in many ways: road rage, domestic violence, use of bad language and even vitriolic comments on social media. A common characteristic of people who deal with anger issues is the lack of control of their actions when they experience the emotion of anger.

This proverb teaches us that the key to overcoming the sin of anger—and, yes, uncontrolled anger is sin (Colossians 3:8)—is to learn to control oneself. Discretion is having the intelligence, sense and wisdom to reject the temptation to respond with an angry outburst and instead to control the self. Since anger is often a reaction to the actions of others, Christians must develop the character to “overlook” the actions of others that provoke an angry response. Ephesians 4:32 teaches us the importance of showing kindness (the antithesis of anger) to others by practicing forgiveness.

To learn more about this subject, read our blog on “Overcoming Anger” and the article “How to Forgive.”

Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “In the Beginning, Part 1: The Implication.”

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