Good Sense

“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11
Are you as tired as I am of the news? Why is everyone so angry? Why are we all so divided? Why is it that we humans seem to always think we are right? I mean in any argument I know I am on the right side, don’t you? I can be very convincing – at least to myself! So when I read the verse that it is to my glory to overlook an offense does that mean I need to give up the right to be right? I am slowly getting the idea that the Lord wants just that of me …. to not be so quick to argue my point and to take offense. By the way when I am talking about offense, I am talking about being angry or resentful of what someone says or does. It is about taking personally what someone else may say or do. And I am beginning to understand that it is possible to be “unaffendable”. I know that sounds crazy but what if I listened, prayed, and calmly stated my opinion or better yet God’s Word even? What if I chose to not be angry if someone believes differently? What if I chose to just love that person and pray? I used to think we had to push our beliefs on others and angrily state the “right way”. But what if I lived my beliefs and quietly stated what the Lord would have me say and did so with gentleness and kindness? When I can deny myself, deny my right to be right, and even deny my right to take offense or to be angry, I believe I am closer to putting others first or being other-center instead of self-centered and obeying the Lord’s commands. He says to not be angry, to forgive, to love others as He loves us. This overlooking offense thing and forfeiting the right to be right is self sacrifice and really hits at my pride. I am thankful the Holy Spirit helps me in this.
When it comes down to it, we aren’t forfeiting a right to anger or a right to be right, because our rights all belong to Jesus. Ephesians 4:26 says “ When you are angry, do not sin and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day.” So some might think it is ok to be angry but just not to sin. But in a few verses later Ephesians 4:31 says “Do not be bitter or angry or mad.” I think Paul might be saying that as humans we probably will get angry but we should deal with it immediately and get rid of it.
Ok so what about righteous anger? Jesus got angry and used a whip to drive out the money changers, but Jesus is after all God. God is allowed to judge and be angry and to get vengeance because He is God and we are not. He does say about Himself in Exodus 34:6 that He is compassionate and gracious and slow to anger, abounding in love…..” He is Perfect and Holy and Just. You see we simply are not. We stand as guilty as the person we are pointing a finger at – the person we are angry with. Romans 3:23 says “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. We are all sinners in need of grace.
So the next time we think someone did or said something horribly wrong and we are tempted to take offense or rush to defend our rights, remember we have given up our rights to The Only One who is truly always right. Remember to represent Him well. Remember He calls us to forgive and to love. We have been given grace and we can give grace because of Him who loves us. We really can choose to not be offended and to not be angry. And thank goodness, the Holy Spirit is our helper!

Author: Barabara Renaker

Occupation:
Retired school teacher, Doting Grandmother, Lover of Jesus

Hobbies:
Studying the Word, Enjoying Friends and my children and grandchildren