Proverbs chapter 22 verses 24-25 (NIV)
Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
do not associate with one easily angered,
or you may learn their ways
and get yourself ensnared.
In his comments for today’s Bible reading, Nicky Gumbel commented that anger is contagious. That got me thinking. This is exactly why Solomon advises not to associate with someone who is easily angered. If we consider how arguments escalate, it’s generally because someone who is angry provokes someone else to respond. We have all been in that situation I’m sure, either as the one who provokes, or as one pushed into responding.
When we look at current events and demonstrations which have made the news recently, we can see how quickly things escalate. So the best thing to do is to walk away so that we are not ensnared.
That way we are setting our own standard. We want to encourage people to see Jesus in us and so we must become more like Him. Sometimes that means turning the other cheek as Jesus taught that we should.
Dear Lord,
There are so many times when I find myself drawn in to situations when it would be Christ like to walk away. Give me grace to do so when it is the right thing to do. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.