Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger rests in the lap of fools”
Some of you may remember the fight that broke out between two hockey dads after a practice in 2002. In a fit of rage, one dad brutally punched another dad and killed him. After the case was tried, one juror said, “when he was on top of the other man, he had the right to stop. But rage of mind took over in him. And that’s why it all happened this way”. The dad got 6 to 10 years in federal prison. This is a sad but helpful illustration of “anger is one letter away from danger”.
God’s word says, “anger doesn’t bring about the righteous life that God desires” (James 1:20), and “in your anger do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26), and “let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). Unbridled anger or rage can cause us to say or do things that we will deeply regret. In Galatians 5:22-23, the last fruit of the Spirit mentioned is self-control. In our born again spirit, God has given us everything we need to restrain ourselves from making huge mistakes. So, when anger or rage are stirring within you, take heed to the Word, do not be quickly provoked, don’t be a fool. Your anger is one letter away from danger.
