A PROMINENT business man some time ago related the following out of his own experience: “My father was an invalid and as his son it fell to me to manage his affairs. On one occasion I had more than the usual amount of overseeing to do, and I asked father, who was able to be about a little, if he would do the chores* around home that day while I finished up my work on the other farm. He assented. But when I returned late, tired and worn, he told me that he had not done what he promised to do. The hot words were just ready to leap out, but somehow I choked them back, and said, ‘It’s all right, father. I’m not so very tired after all.’ I started off, when father called me back, and laying his hand on my head, he said, ‘George, you’re the best son a father ever had; God bless you.’ I went to my tasks and performed them. When I returned my father could not speak to me—he was done with all earthly tasks—but from that day to this, whenever the temptation to anger has come, I have felt the pressure of his hand upon my head.” That godly father must have taught his son the proverb. “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” And how thankful could the son well be that he had spoken the “soft answer”; that he had indeed ruled his spirit.
*Chores, odd jobs.
Anger is a passion that can cause us much distress, sorrow and regret. Practically every normal person has the capacity for getting angry. It, therefore, becomes universally important that we learn how to control anger, and to keep it in subjection, “Grievous words” which “stir up anger” are to be avoided at all times. Anger should be deferred (Prov. xix. 11), and if it is deferred it will probably evaporate. Someone has put it this way: “Write your angry letter to-day if you must—but don’t post it until to-morrow; then you probably never will send it.” Anger is one of the things which the Christian is to “put off.” Colossians iii. 8 says, “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.” Anger does not become a child of God. But if we should get angry—we are not to let the sun go down upon our wrath (Eph. iv. 26). Make things right at once!—Christian Life.