Read
8Do yourself a favor
by having good sense—
you will be glad you did.
9Dishonest witnesses and liars
will be destroyed.
10It isn't right for a fool
to live in luxury
or for a slave to rule
in place of a king.
11It's wise to be patient
and show what you are like
by forgiving others.
12An angry king roars
like a lion,
but when a king is pleased,
it's like dew on the crops.
Reflect
“It’s wise to be patient and show what you are like by forgiving others” (v 11).
Among these five verses which seem to have little connection with one another, we find this gem. The English Standard Version reads “Good sense makes one slow to anger.” These words are rich in meaning. I can imagine someone being “patient” while gritting their teeth, checking their watch (or iPhone). Not so if they are “slow to anger.” We all know that people can be maddening at times. It’s tempting to lash out. But that leads to more conflict. The wise (read “mature”) person stops to think. Maybe there are things going on in the other person’s life that I don’t know about that makes them act like that. Or maybe our anger is fully justified, but there’s more to be gained by exercising some self-control and keeping it in check. If you doubt this, reflect on the fact that “slow to anger” is used to describe God fourteen times in the Old Testament, and is usually associated with “abounding in steadfast love.” Have you experienced his gentleness with you? How many times has he shown you love when he might so easily have been angry? If we are to be Christ-like we need to be slow to anger.
Forgiveness is closely connected with this kind of patience. We pray “forgive us our trespasses/sins,” but Jesus has us add the words “as we forgive those that trespass against us.” It’s the only phrase in the Lord’s prayer that he elaborates on at the end (Matthew 6:12-15). If we know ourselves, we know how often we fail in our relationship with God and with other people. The church is, ideally, a fellowship of people who love one another. And love is “kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). I hope you’ve been on the receiving end of this kind of love. I have. It’s what drew me to Jesus in the first place. It’s a key mark of Christian maturity to extend it to others.
Perhaps there is a link between these verses, after all. “Do yourself a favor by having good sense – you will be glad you did” (v 8).
Respond
God our Father, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, how patient you have been with us. Give us the wisdom, maturity, and self-control to reflect your love and forgiveness to those around us, in the church, at home and at work. Especially where it’s difficult. Amen
Annabel Robinson
Annabel was born in Kew, near London, England. She committed her life to Jesus Christ at a Scripture Union camp when she was 16, and immediately found joy and peace. At Oxford she was active in the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, where she met her husband, Reid. They emigrated to Canada in 1965, where she taught Classics at the University of Regina until 2007. She has two children, Heather in Oslo and Alasdair in Calgary.