📣 Proverbs 16:32 | Slow to Anger, Quick to Sacrifice

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📧 In today’s email…

• 📕 A quick review of what we’ve learned this week

• 👀 Jesus was not the Messiah the Jews were looking for

• 🧐 In case you missed it..

 🧠 Memorize

_{see if you know what words go in the blanks}

Whoever __ ____ __ _____ is ______ ____ ___ ______,

and he ___ _____ ___ spirit ____ __ ___ _____ _ ____.

Proverbs 16:32

A review of what we’ve learned 🤔 

Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve learned this week:

Background Context

• Author: Solomon

• Original Audience: Proverbs is wisdom literature originally composed in Hebrew for the education of Jewish readers.

• Purpose: To impart wisdom for daily living, grounded in an appropriate, reverent fear of God (Proverbs 1:7)

Passage Context

The phrases “Better than the mighty” and “he who takes a city” are military references that don’t quite register for us today.

In the US, we respect our military, but in ancient eastern cultures, individual military prowess was held in much higher regard than it is today.

War, battle, and exile were a very real and consistent part of the story of God’s people during this time period.

Verse 32 is saying that it is harder (and therefore better) to control one’s emotions than to do some great exploit on the battlefield.

This statement would carry real weight when spoken by a father to his children in ancient Israel.

Other Parts of Scripture 📖 

We see anger on some of the opening pages of Scripture:

God said to Cain that sin’s desire is contrary to you, but that he must “rule over it.”

This is the same Hebrew word (māšal) that we see in our memory verse this week:

Then, later in Scripture, we see Jesus teach this in the Sermon on the Mount:

God’s standards are not our standards.

In order to become the people God created us to be, we need His Spirit to do miraculous work in hearts to transform us from the inside out.

Practical Steps For Choosing Self-Control Instead of Anger 🙏 

Remember this simple process:

1. Notice when you’re angry

2. Identify and label why you feel angry

3. Bring it to the Lord and hand your anger over to Him.

4. Tell a friend or spouse how you feel and why. Then, share what you feel like God is calling you to in this moment.

This will often decrease the intensity of the anger you feel and allow you to think more clearly about choosing the right path forward.

5 Other Ways to Respond When Angry 🏃 

1. 🙏 Prayer: Turn to God in prayer when feeling angry, seeking His peace and guidance.

2. 📖 Scripture meditation: Regularly reflect on Bible verses about patience, forgiveness, and self-control (like our memory verse this week!)

3. 🤲 Practice forgiveness: Follow Christ's example by forgiving others, even when it's difficult.

4. 🤝 Seek accountability: Connect with fellow believers who can help you manage your anger in a godly manner.

5. ✝️ Remember God's love: Focus on God's unconditional love for you, which can help put frustrations into perspective.

How we handle emotions like anger can play a huge role in witnessing to the world.

When the world chooses unrighteous anger, let’s choose self-control through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Slow to Anger, Quick to Sacrifice 📣 

The Jewish people at the time of Jesus expected the Messiah to be a political or military figure who would overthrow Rome with worldly power.

Our verse this week reminds us that God’s ways are higher than our ways.

Rather than use his infinite power to gain political or military power, Jesus:

• Arrived on earth as a baby

• Lived 30 years in obscurity

• Spent 3 teaching and healing

• And finally, died sacrificially on a cross

His infinite power was used to sacrifice for the very people who executed him.

This is the essence of true power.

It’s marked by self-control.

And by laying down your life for others.

May we take up the pattern of Jesus and represent the Kingdom of God well in our daily lives.

When those around us are quick to anger, let us be quick to lean on God to show self-control.

And when the world is quick to anger, let us be quick to sacrifice.

Let’s reflect Christ’s example this weekend so that others may catch a glimpse of the Kingdom!

In Case You Missed It 👀 

In case you missed it, here are some resources to help you dive deeper into this week’s memory verse:

• 📹️ Bible Project: Overview of the Proverbs (link)

• 🎙️ 6-minute Podcast: Unrighteous Anger by David Platt (link)

• 📚️ Living in the Proverbs by Chuck Swindoll (link)

• 📚️ Proverbs: A 12-Week Study from Knowing the Bible (link)

• 🎵 Proverbs 16:32 by Verses and Kacey Walkingstick (Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music)

Answer key ✅ 

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Proverbs 16:32

How did you do? 💡