Why I Should Respond with Grace

In review of Proverbs 29:11 it says, “A fool expresses all his emotions, but a wise person controls them.”

Bottom Line:

A fool will vent his anger, however a wise person will be sensible, patient and hold it back.

What this means to me:

It would be foolish for me to quickly lose my temper and vent my anger openly. It is wiser for me to quietly hold back and be sensible and patient.

In my life I can’t control much of what happens to me, however I can choose how I react to what life throws my way. I can get angry or stressed out or shrink into depression when slights come at me, or I can respond gracefully.

The choice will always be mine. The Bible says, “A fool expresses all his emotions, but a wise person controls them” (Proverbs 29:11 GW). In order to live responsibly, I must put my mind in gear before I speak. I must think before I act.

When others cause pain to my life, I will often respond by trying to get even. Ironically, in our effort to “get even” with a person who has wronged me, I do get even. I simply sink to the other person’s level.

God calls me to a much greater response: forgiveness.

When I’m mistreated, my proper reaction isn’t to blow up or clam up. Both are irresponsible. Instead God calls me to respond to slights with calmness, love, and truth.

In summary, It would be foolish for me to lose my temper and vent my anger. It is much wiser for me to quietly hold back and be sensible and patient. My bottom line should be to trust God to settle the score. He has much better resources to do that than I do.