He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Proverbs 16:32
When you feel an angry spirit arising, take firm hold of Jesus Christ by faith. Utter no word. Danger lies in the utterance of a single word when you are angry, for a barrage of passionate utterances will follow…. The man who gives way to folly in speaking passionate words, bears false witness; for he is never just.
He exaggerates every defect he thinks he sees: he is too blind and unreasonable to be convinced of his madness. He transgresses the commandments of God, and his imagination is perverted by the inspiration of Satan.
The door is then thrown open to malice, to envy, and to evil surmisings, and the poor victim is borne helplessly on…. But there is hope while the hours of probation linger, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ….
This is the standard for which every Christian must strive, not in his own natural ability, but through the grace given him of Jesus Christ. Let us wrestle for the mastery over every sin, and be able to check every impatient, fretful expression.
EGW Letter 38, 1893
Last modified: December 3, 2024
