Meditation

Read Ephesians 4:25-32

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.—Psalm 103:8 (NIV)

I was driving home from work one day when another car cut into my lane, almost hitting me. I became furious and wanted to make the driver stop so that I could express my anger. Then I remembered the above scripture verse. I pulled over on the shoulder of the road and prayed, “Thank you, God, for helping me control my anger before it caused more trouble.” What I intended to do could have caused an accident or unnecessary harm.

Acting on anger often leads to undesirable outcomes and regrets. It is easy to say and do things we don’t mean when we’re angry, and we can hurt others in the process. Sometimes the hurt we cause may never go away and may take years to heal. It is important to keep God’s words with us at all times and learn from God to protect ourselves and the people we encounter.

The Bible reminds us many times that God is slow to anger. By trusting God to be present, praying, and learning to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we will be able to calm our anger and live harmoniously with those around us. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your presence and for scripture that helps us manage our anger. We pray in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thought for the day: Because of God’s presence, I can control my anger in any situation.

—Kong Peng Sun, Singapore