''A fool does not think before he unleashes his temper, but a wise man holds back and remains quiet'' - Proverbs 29:11 (TV)
In one of Aesop’s Fables, a donkey walking through the forest finds the skin of a lion. Hunters had killed the lion and left the skin to dry in the sun. The donkey put on the lion’s skin and was delighted to discover that all the other animals were terrified of him and ran away when he appeared. Rejoicing in his newfound respect, the donkey brayed his happiness only to give himself away by his voice.
There is a popular saying that ''Silence is Golden''. One of the ways to identify a fool is to pay close attention to his/her temperament. The words and temperament of a fool will always expose him/her. A donkey may command the respect of a lion as long as it remain silence. A donkey can clone the appearance of a lion but the voice and temperament of a lion can never be cloned. The real being behind those impressive facade that many people are showcasing now will be unraveled sooner or later.
''A fool is known by his speech, and a wise man by silence." Pythagoras
In 1 Samuel 25, before the visit of David's men to Nabal's house, everyone thought that he was a wise man. He was perceived to be the brilliant/great mind behind a successful cross border business entity. But after that visit, the narrative changed as the real identity of Nabal was unraveled to the whole world. Everyone eventually discovered that Nabal was an aggressive, hot-tempered, stubborn, greedy, rude and arrogant man. He was simply a fool (Eccl 7:9).
''Don't be quick to fly off the handle. Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head''- Eccl 7:9 (MSG).
Today, we live in a world of Nabals. A world where everyone wants to fully display their emotions and express themselves vocally or otherwise at the slightest provocation. A world where silence is no longer regarded as golden but foolishness. A world where people strive to get even with those who dare to step on their toes. A world where many people are extremely selfish and unkind to each other. Unfortunately, it is a world where many Nabals have become victims of the sword of David and his men. And many glorious homes or relationships have been scattered or torned apart by those violent emotions and careless utterances of Nabals. A world of Nabal is indeed a world of foolishness (Eccl 7:9).
Beloved, I sincerely hope you are not one of the Nabals in town. If you are, then, you need to genuinely repent and plead for the salvation of your soul. And if you do, I can assure you that the Holy Spirit will help you to control your emotion and tame your tongue till you finish your race on earth.
This wonderful hymn below re-echoes the need to avoid the path that Nabal followed:
ANGRY WORDS By Horatius R. Palmer, 1867
1. Angry words, oh, let them never
From the tongue unbridled slip;
May the heart’s best impulse ever
Check them ere they soil the lip.
Refrain:
“Love one another,” thus saith the Savior;
Children obey the Father’s blest command;
“Love one another,” thus saith the Savior;
Children obey His blest command.
2. Love is much too pure and holy,
Friendship is too sacred far,
For a moment’s reckless folly
Thus to desolate and mar.
3. Angry words are lightly spoken,
Bitt’rest thoughts are rashly stirred,
Brightest links of life are broken
By a single angry word.
May God help us to control our temperament so that we will not be defiled by that reckless and destructive spirit of Nabal that is ravaging our world today in Jesus name, Amen.
On behalf of my esteemed Father in the Lord, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, I want to invite you to the November 2023 Holy Ghost Service with the theme: THE WALLS MUST COME DOWN. Time: 6pm. Date: Friday, 3rd November, 2023. Venue: Redemption City, Ogun State, Nigeria. #rccgworldwide #HolyGhostService
Happy New Month and God bless you, Amen.
Maranatha
Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo
For more articles, please visit -
https://okanlawon.webnode.com
https:// okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com
Instagram: @lawontaiwo
Twitter: @tammytaiwo
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment