Proverbs 16:32 – He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. (NKJV)

Had I created mine, I would have shortened the length and made it narrower.

The nose is an interesting part of the body's anatomy. I've heard that it continues to grow as a person ages, and I have seen a number of elderly senior adults with noses that have apparently followed the norm.

As a child, I smelled everything before I ate it. I thought that if it smelled bad, it would taste the same way. That's not always true. Since smell is one of the most powerful memory tools, I'm glad — although sometimes sad — that I have a sense of smell. Certain aromas can resurrect things that I've not thought about in years — or even remembered that I remember.

Growing my nose longer has never entered my mind, but perhaps it should. The Hebrew word used for anger in the Old Testament means "nostril" or "nose". According to Hebrew psychology, the nose was the beginning point of anger. One who was slow to anger was long of nose.

This is an interesting twist on this piece of my anatomy — so interesting that I might indeed wish that my nose would continue to grow. Anger is one of those God-created emotions that almost everyone struggles with. The emotion itself is neutral, but rarely is it ever expressed in the same fashion. Hurt, fear, and frustration resurrect it, and the temptation is to manifest it in ways that will hurt others.

Being slow to anger is an art that only God can help me with. I may have genetic overtones or have lived through environmental situations that make it easier for me to express my anger in unhealthy ways, but neither excuses the responsibility for my actions. "I can't help it" won't cut the mustard with God. Strength comes from learning to control the emotion.

I can grow my nose by temporarily or permanently stepping away from an explosive situation, by being prayed-up ahead of time, by being familiar with what the Bible says about anger, by learning to think before I act, by depending on God's Spirit to help me to do what I might not ordinarily do, and by looking for beneficial ways to express my anger.

Don't be ashamed of a long nose. It means that you're mastering the anger button.

Prayer: Father, help us to express our anger emotion in ways that please You and benefit others. Amen.

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About the author:

Martin Wiles <mandmwiles@gmail.com>
Greenwood, South Carolina, USA
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