15/02/2011 - Men’s glory

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

Humankind would live much better if everybody learnt how valuable the understanding we get from the Lord is as we listen to the Scriptures. It’s the Word of the Lord which created all existent things, both in the material and in the spiritual world. Only the Word has the power to give men the discretion and self-control they need to make wise decisions demanded by life itself. As you know, the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one (I John 5:19), and the enemy of our souls is always trying to mess up with our lives.

Yet, those who reach the true understanding that only our Father can give us will certainly become discrete and, consequently, successful. Men without understanding can only see what’s outside and they tend to act foolishly because they judge circumstances according to their human eyes, not to the divine revelation (I Samuel 16:7). However, we need to urgently bow down before the Truth and seek the right guidance for our lives in the Lord. My brethren, we must have the accurate Word on the tip of the tongue even when we’re in trouble or when a golden opportunity comes up; we won’t make wise decisions without it.

It’s understandable that we might get angry now and then whenever we’re under pressure, oppressed by the hand of our opponent and tempted by all evil forces. Yet, that kind of feeling doesn’t go hand in hand with the justice of God and it takes us nowhere. Now, we won’t sin if we’re wise and hold back our anger. Discretion is for everybody, the Lord Himself prepared it, but there are those who don’t know that virtue is at their disposal so they get angry whenever somebody else’s behavior that makes them suffer because they let that evil feeling overcome them and then they take hasty attitudes. Nevertheless, later they’ll certainly realize that their decisions weren’t the best ones for that specific moment.

Our Creator gave us the ability to overlook a transgression and to forgive wicked deeds against us. In fact, everybody has experienced anger at some point of their lives and they also said things they regretted later. That happens to us all the time; after all, our enemy uses people around us to make us suffer, even those from our own family. Anyone can forgive a slightly bad deed which causes an insignificant harm. Now, only those who received God’s understanding will be able to forgive and never recall the memory of that offence if the case is more serious, the pain stronger, and the harm greater.

We know nothing about the kind of trial we’ll have to face, but we know that it will come to us. Even Jesus Christ was taken by the Spirit of God to the desert to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11). The temptations to come over us will always be human, but the devil’s sinister hand is always behind them to try to take us away from the divine presence. So, my brother, seek the gift of discretion from the Lord; you’ll take the right attitude to get Satan well tied-up if you do that way whenever you’re tempted.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares