T in Real Life: July 2006

I am happy to announce the newest section in my blog called "Wednesday's Wisdom." Before you know it, each day of the week will have it's own title. You just wait. :) Anyway, each Wednesday (or a little before, as I may need to plan ahead for scheduling purposes) I will cite a verse from the Proverbs and then a short little commentary to follow up. I will only post one verse, because I personally feel that only one is necessary. Every time I read from the Proverbs, I am amazed again and again at how each verse is like a mountain of wisdom all its own; if we just took one verse a day and tried to live by it, we would be doing pretty good. Proverbs is packed.

Wednesday's Wisdom 1

"A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult."
-Proverbs 12:16

We are often insulted, and even more often, we are annoyed. I doubt a day goes by when you aren't annoyed at something... the car going 10 mph below on the interstate, your classmate's snide remarks, or the slow check-out clerk. How do you react to these instances?

I know how I react. I get annoyed. It's alright to get annoyed- we often can't control the onset of some feelings. However, what do we do with the "annoyance?" Do we let it pour out into a pointed look and shake of the head as we pass the slow car on the interstate? Do we turn around in class and make an equally snide remark back to our classmate? Do we let the annoyance become known as we glare at the check-out clerk?

Most of us probably don't go so far, but maybe some days, we do. Some days, it is hard to control how far we let our "annoyances" or "insults" take us. I believe that a very important truth comes out of this: We need to let God guide our minds and hearts, and not let our feelings rule us instead. It is easy to let anger, annoyance, bitter, rage, sadness, and even good feelings overtake us in a way that leads us blindly into a world of trouble. The simple solution is to hand the reigns to God, each and every day, and not only daily, but situationally... so that His presence can be there to calm us and we are not so quick to show our annoyance or retaliate in anger.

Application for today: Let God lead you today everywhere. Don't just ask God for help in the morning and then thank Him tonight. Remember that He is there always, and acknowledge that. By talking to Him continually, your attitude will be clear, and situations that may have been "annoying" may not be such a big deal anymore.

I love you all! T