Glorified Sense

Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭11

“The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression.” Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This verse says, there are times when it’s good to overlook, to look past that offense, to not let it fester in you and to not confront it with that person, but just to overlook, to bear with that person, to forgive that person in your heart, and then to move on and not hold it against that person. And sometimes this is the wisest route to take, just to move on and to overlook that offense.

This proverb is very illuminating because of what it does not say. It does not say that the wise person never gets angry, rather it says it is wise, or makes good sense, to be slow to anger.

Why, you might ask, does it make good sense to be “slow to anger”? Well, we often lack facts, we often are not able to see a situation objectively, and we are often blinded by our own pride. Rather than being quick to anger, we should strive first to listen, ask clarifying questions, and try to understand why someone might be behaving the way they are.

Anger can be closer to the surface. Old, unresolved hurts now leave sensitive places with raw nerve endings that others can touch unintentionally. Those painful jolts of electricity may have always been there, but as we age, they become harder to hide. Harder, or perhaps we just do not try as hard to hide them. Perhaps, we figure, that  It hurt a lot, and I’m old, and I deserve to show it hurt. In fact, I deserve to hurt somebody back.

But wait. How do we really overlook an offense? There's only one way: we can "overlook" offenses only as long as we know that there is no such thing as an overlooked offense.

Paul tells us, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord'” (Romans 12:19). Every sin—every offense against God and man will be judged by the Lord. And we know that the judgment will happen in one of two places: either in hell or on the cross of Jesus. Our "overlooking an offense" is really our entrusting to God the role that belongs to Him alone. The life of wisdom is the life of faith that yields to our sovereign and good God.

We need to live in the flow of forgiveness, or like the lady deer hunter, I may confuse the bank officer with the crazy computerized world that seems determined to expose my every insecurity. What helps? The only thing that helps is to keep on bathing in an unceasing stream of forgiveness.

If we can live and walk in forgiveness, if forgiveness flows up inside us like a spring, it will flow out of us and over those frightening people and things around us. Forgiveness, like love, is not all about feeling. It is a life decision. We can decide to be a forgiving person, and because that decision is mine, it means we are in control. We are not the defeated, or a frightened victim of this crazy new world and the evil who run it. I decided that I am in control because nothing and no one can make me not forgive it, them, the bank, the waitress, or whatever!!!

Father as we come before You today, we pray for the wisdom and humility necessary to cultivate a gentle and patient spirit. Help us to overlook offenses and to extend grace and forgiveness to those who wrong us. May our words be filled with kindness and our actions reflect Your love, even when we face difficult situations. We pray for Your guidance and strength to live in this way, trusting in You to work all things together for good. Be a blessing. Love ya

Father, we love You. Amen