For this reason the king was angry and very
furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out, and they began killing
the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then
with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s
guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. (Daniel 2:12-14)
Speaking
Without Anger
 |
| picture credit: spurmag.com |
Anger has
become a major problem in our society, especially when associated with
driving. Between 1990 and 1997, 2,
50,000 people were killed in traffic accident.
The U. S. Department of Transportation estimates that two-thirds of these
road fatalities were caused by drivers who were angry. They not only lost their temper, but they lost
their lives as well.
When
Daniel was confronted with the king’s edict, it could have given way to
anger. The King’s demands were
unreasonable. Who ever heard of telling
the dream as well as giving the interpretation?
Furthermore, it was unfair. Why destroy
all the wise men when not everyone had been given the opportunity to redeem
himself? But Daniel knew better than to
give way to such futile passions.
Instead, he answered with “counsel and wisdom.”
To his
credit, Daniel first sought information.
He checked out the facts to find out what lay behind this seemingly
unreasonable edit. Then he spoke with
wisdom. Daniel took the time to
understand the situation and then offered a practical solution that would both
meet the king’s need and save the lives of many innocent people.
Anger can
be terribly devastating, especially for Christians. Not only do they suffer the same consequences
unbelievers do when they lose their temper, but they also tarnish their testimony
before a watching world.
If you
struggle with anger, learn to seek counsel and then speak with wisdom. Get the facts straight. Give yourself time to think about the
consequences of your anger. And then,
rather than waste your energy on a fit of rage and bring shame to the Lord, as
God to show you how you can resolve the situation for His glory.
Anger isn’t
always wrong, but it’s seldom profitable.
—Dr.
Woodrow Kroll
Source: Confident Living Magazine, Back to the Bible
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