ENEMY OF PROGRESS III - ANGER

 

“O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall – Genesis 49:6.”

Anger is not to be taken lightly. Most noble actions have been tainted and tarnished due to this. There were men and women in history who fought for noble cause and did valiantly only to spoil the whole exploits with anger.

In the text above, two brothers, Simeon and Levi, were cursed because of their anger. This delayed their progress for over four hundred and thirty years. It was until when Levi decided to be on the Lord’s side that we could say things became better because God had them for His inheritance – Exodus 32:26. Yet, there was a form of delay in progress for over four centuries before they could make tangible progress.

As much as we know that Esau later became great, among many other factors, anger was key because he was wroth against his brother, Jacob. So hot was his temper that his younger brother had to flee from him. No wonder it is written in Proverbs – “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? – 27:4.” Indeed, anger is outrageous.

The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes warned – “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools – Ecc. 7:9.” This is to tell us that there is connection between anger and foolishness. Truth be told, a tangible progress is not traceable to anger. Fools hardly make progress. As much as Nabal would have been prosperous and promoted, his folly denied him that privilege and blessing.

Even the king David would have limited himself or hindered his own progress had it been that virtuous woman, Abigael had allowed him take vengeance upon Nabal out of anger. One of the ways God established the kingdom of Israel in the hand of David was being able to overcome anger. Various times when Saul attacked and plotted against him, he was helped by the Spirit of God to remain sober, vigilant and not angry. If he had been angry the same way Saul was, he would have killed the anointed of the Lord and that means he wouldn’t have been guiltless.

There is a caution for you my dear Sir. Take an inventory of your life today and see whether it be anger that is affecting your progress and promotion both before God and before men. Anger is an enemy of progress. Moses, the man of God, didn’t enter the Promised Land because of this. That limited his progress into the land which the Lord God covenanted to the fathers.

John and James were surnamed Boanerges, which is interpreted, sons of thunder. Judging by this name, you should know they appeared to be a kind of “No-nonsense” people unlike Barnabas who was “son of consolation.” Had Jesus not cautioned and stopped them, the two brother would have destroyed the Samaritans with fire (Luke 9:54-55) prior to the time God planned to send Holy Ghost upon the people of Samaria. Naaman would have died a leper if he had allowed his anger to overtake and overcome him. The wrath of Haman coupled with pride killed him. Take counsel today, let not anger overtake you come to the meek and lowly Jesus, and thou shall learn the ways to overcome this raging enemy.

O man, why are you angry against your Maker? If you kick against the Lord God, it is a deadly thing to kick against the thorns. They that get angry against God are like potsherds and upon them are woes and curses – “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!... – Is. 45:9.” Repent and forsake your faults, you will obtain mercy from God.

TEMPERATE GREETINGS