Stem the release of anger with positive thoughts.

August 27, 2012

Proverbs 27 4     “Wrath is cruel and anger is outrageous: but who is able to stand before envy?”

            Wrath is an end to a personality flaw which results in cruelty. The wrathful person seethes in his feelings until it must be released in the form of mistreating an animal or person. Anger is a responsive state of mind to some idea of being mistreated by another. Generally, it is spontaneous and quickly forgotten—unless it is allowed to manifest itself as wrath.

            Both anger and wrath can be halted in their place by taking a count of ten and considering what the results and ramification of this action may be. A soft prayer or comforting thought while counting slowly will usually stop the highly volatile response.

            Envy, however, is more like a tick in the back of your leg. You can’t really feel anything happening until the tick has engorged himself with your blood and maybe even infect your leg. Envy is not perceived as a flaw; everyone looks at envy as being justified. We may say that we dislike the respect this person gets so we will underhandedly try to ignore their suggestions and plans and undermine their support. Envy eats away at one’s insides until he can think of nothing else but getting even with the person envied.

Lord, we love You today and seek Your comfort to release feelings of anger that could easily turn wrathful. Help us, Father, to respond properly to things that bother us. Especially, in the cases where we are envious of other’s success, Lord, show us the positive sides and make us respond Your ideas. For Your service, we live.      Amen.