~3 min read
1 Corinthians 13:5c
“ … Pray that God will control your anger and take steps to deal with your anger.…”
Not easily provoked (1 Corinthians 13:5c)
To be provoked is to be angry. It is a sudden outburst of emotion.
Here, it is not about righteous anger, like when Jesus was angry with how the people abused the Temple, or when Paul was angry with the heresies, immoralities and wickedness. We ought to be angry with the sins, atrocities and evil happening around the world. But even in our righteous anger, we must be careful because anger often leads to sin (c.f. Ephesians 4:26).
Paul was speaking about things done to us that are personally offensive. Are you someone who is easily provoked and offended leading you to explode in great anger? If there is something that needs to be corrected and someone brings it to your attention, are you irritated? Someone who is easily provoked is not approachable and teachable.
People who are easily provoked oftentimes react by shouting, screaming and yelling. They cannot control their anger. Once a girl said to her pastor, “I know that I lose my temper easily, but it is all over in a few minutes.” The pastor replied, “Well, that is true, and so is the nuclear bomb, and so is the impulsive murderer.”
Dear children, if we are easily provoked, it can cause damage in a very short time. Our anger is always destructive, and our outburst of anger can break relationships and lead us into trouble. As a believer, if you recognise that you have an issue with anger, ask the Spirit of God to help you. Pray that God will control your anger and take steps to deal with your anger. A good friend of mine was able to control his anger, and he said, “Whenever I feel this anger starting to rise up in my heart, I will take three steps. Firstly, I will walk away from the situation. Secondly, I will recite the church memory verses. Thirdly, I will pray. And it has helped me to control my anger!” Praise God for giving him godly wisdom!
2024 TERM 4Love (Part 12) — Beareth All ThingsLove (Part 12) — Beareth All Things1 Corinthians 13:7a
Love (Part 11) — Rejoiceth In The TruthLove (Part 11) — Rejoiceth In The Truth1 Corinthians 13:6b
Love (Part 10) — Rejoiceth Not In IniquityLove (Part 10) — Rejoiceth Not In Iniquity1 Corinthians 13:6a
Love (Part 9) — Thinketh No EvilLove (Part 9) — Thinketh No Evil1 Corinthians 13:5d
Love (Part 8) — Not Easily ProvokedLove (Part 8) — Not Easily Provoked1 Corinthians 13:5c
Love (Part 7) — Is Not SelfishLove (Part 7) — Is Not Selfish1 Corinthians 13:5b
Love (Part 6) — Does Not MisbehaveLove (Part 6) — Does Not Misbehave1 Corinthians 13:5a
Love (Part 5) — Is Not ProudLove (Part 5) — Is Not Proud1 Corinthians 13:4e
Love (Part 4) — Does Not BoastLove (Part 4) — Does Not Boast1 Corinthians 13:4d
Love (Part 3) — Is Not JealousLove (Part 3) — Is Not Jealous1 Corinthians 13:4c
Love (Part 2) — Is KindLove (Part 2) — Is Kind1 Corinthians 13:4b