Solomon said, “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention” (Proverbs 15:18). We need to become people that are slow to anger. How do we do this?
- Realize the need to be slow to anger. If we do not see the purpose of being slow to anger, then we will not ever change. We will continue to act with uncontrolled anger and will not change. But we need to see the effect anger has on ourselves because we act like fools. We need to see how anger affects the home because we provoke our children to wrath and stir up strife. God has commanded us to be slow to anger so we must change. “Brothers & Sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (James 1:19-20).
- Listen more, react less. Listen to what the other person has to say rather than formulating in our minds the next argument to make. Really try to hear what the other person is saying rather than be angry because you are not winning the argument.
- Stop talking. Stop trying to win the argument. Discussion becomes completely unproductive when we feel like we need to be right. State what you believe and let it be. We cannot make people do anything. They will do things on their own will not because you verbally beat them to death.
- Anger does not bring about the righteousness of God that we are supposed to have in our lives. To state this another way, we are losing our souls if we do not learn to be slow to anger.