"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty." Proverbs 16:32 NKJV
Had I created mine, I would have shortened the length and made it narrower.
The nose is an interesting part of the body's anatomy. I've heard it continues
to grow as a person ages. And I have seen a number of elderly senior adults with
noses that have apparently followed the norm.
As a child, I smelled everything before I ate it. I suppose if it smelled bad,
it would taste the same way. Not always true. Since smell is one of the most
powerful memory tools, I'm glad-although sometimes sad, that I have a sense of
smell. Certain aromas can resurrect things I've not thought about in years-or
even remembered that I remember.
Growing my nose longer has never entered my mind-but perhaps it should. The
Hebrew word used for anger in the Old Testament means "nostril" or "nose."
According to Hebrew psychology, the nose was the beginning point of anger. One
who was slow to anger was long of nose.
An interesting twist on this piece of my anatomy. So interesting that I might
indeed wish my nose would continue to grow. Anger is one of those God-created
emotions that almost everyone struggles with. The emotion itself is neutral but
rarely is it ever expressed in the same fashion. Hurt, fear, and frustration all
heat it up, and the temptation is to manifest it in such a way so that someone
else gets hurt too.
Being slow to anger is an art only God can help me with. I may have genetic
overtones or have come through environmental overtones that make it easier for
me to express my anger in unhealthy ways, but neither excuse the responsibility
for my actions. "I can't help it" won't cut the mustard with God. Strength comes
from learning to control my anger.
I can grow my nose by temporarily or permanently stepping away from an explosive
situation, by being prayed up ahead of time, by being familiar with what the
Bible says about anger, by learning to think before I act, by depending on God's
Spirit to help me do what I might not ordinarily do, and by looking for
beneficial ways to express my anger.
Don't be ashamed of a long nose. It means you're mastering the anger button.
Martin Wiles Hodges, South Carolina, USA
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