Proverbs 16:32
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Okay, here’s what I need you to do. Ready? Clench your teeth. Got it? Now flare your nostrils. Good. Hold it there…you are making the expression of anger. Aph is the Hebrew word we translate with the English word “angry.” Aph means “nostril” or “nose” or, in some cases, refers to the whole “face.” In the Hebrew language, your anger showed…flared nostrils, clenched teeth, heavy breathing, inaudible sounds…. Okay, thanks for working with me. You can unclench your teeth. 

Anger, of course, doesn’t start at your nose. The flared nostrils are simply the outward demonstration of your heart. “Heart” in Scripture describes the control center of our lives. It is a one-word description of our thinking, feelings, and desire to act. So when you are angry, all of you is angry…and nothing good follows.

That’s why the proverb says that a strong warrior is bested by a person with patience. The one who has the capacity to take a fortified city comes in second behind the person who has learned to control their temper. So, when you feel it coming on…when the anger starts working in your mind, causing your blood pressure to rise and making you want to do something or say something, you will most certainly regret…pray for God to take control of your heart. It takes a person of discipline and the power of God to control the temper.

Father, we submit our tempers to you. Please control them. Keep them in check. Never let us act out of anger. Never let us respond in anger. Keep us from the regret of an angry heart. In Christ’s name. Amen.