FOOD FOR TEENS: SHORT AND LONG FUSE

Anger on its own is not a sin, scripture tells us this in Ephesians 4:26, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath.” It is okay to blow your fuse every once in a while but according to the scripture above; don’t leave it for too long, it becomes a sin.

There are two types of anger:

1. The short fuse (Short temper)

2. The long fuse (slow to anger)

Scripture describes God as slow to anger (Psalm 103:8). Before we go any further, it is very important to note that you can correct, chasten a person without getting angry, you can disagree with a person without necessarily getting angry. With that been said, let us x-ray this two types of anger and examine ourselves to see which category we fall into so that we can adjust if need be or hold on strong to that which is good.

1. The short fuse (temper): The idea behind a short fuse is the inability to withstand pressure for long. For example, let us picture a dynamite with a short thread, once it is ignited, it gives the person a very short period of time to make wise judgment, change his or her mind as to if he or she wants to explode or not, it even gives less time to that person to run to safety, that is what it is like for someone to be quick tempered. Anger often times destroys whatsoever it comes in contact with, It is not a weapon that should be used unless it has to be used.

A short tempered person always find his/herself at variance with a lot of people, he or she always finds it difficult to maintain peaceful relationship with people because in time of anger just like a dynamite a lot of damage is done that could hardly be corrected.

The Bibles has something to say about people with this type of attitude, Ecclesiastes 7:9, “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” It amazes me that a lot of people take great pleasure in the fact that they are easily triggered and angry when it ought to be something they are ashamed of. You hear people brag about it abs are quick to let others know about this bad attitude in them. As scripture says this attitude is found amongst fools, so one ought not to take pride in foolishness (Proverbs 14:29). Proverbs 27:3, “A stone is heavy, and sand weighty but a fools wrath is heavier than both.” Proverbs 19:19, “A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.”

There is absolutely nothing to gain from having a short temper, instead it costs so much, a life of hatred, malice, strife, bitterness are all attached to having a short temper. Similarly, we can say that a short fuse (temper) is not strength but a weakness, the sooner it is identified for what it is, ‘a destructive character flaw’ the better

2. The Long fuse (slow to anger): Like our example of a dynamite, it could be ignited by someone’s bad behaviour or attitude towards you but unlike the short fuse, it has a long thread (threshold for resisting pressure), this is the kind of anger that can be appeased.

Many times in scripture we have read how the anger (wrath) of God was turned, this because God is merciful and slow to anger, He has a long fuse. He doesn’t wish that any should perish, if not that Jesus Christ was slow to anger while He walked on the earth in human flesh, He couldn’t have been able to fulfill His purpose on the earth. 1st Peter 2:23, “who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.”

Someone who is slow to anger gives room to others to see the errors in their ways and correct it and still leave in peace with as many as possible. It is the only way to always maintain a peaceful and lasting relationship with people.

Proverbs 29:8, “Wise men turn away wrath.” Wisdom is directly associated to those that are slow to anger. Proverbs 16:32, “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”

HOW DO I PUT AWAY THIS SHORT FUSE?

Simple, if you are in Christ Jesus, you must first realize that your true and your default nature is the nature of Christ Jesus. The seed of the spirit in you contains long suffering (Galatians 5:22). You must consciously acknowledge this nature in you through constant declaration of the word of God, so that the communication of your faith will become effectual and then the manifestation of this attribute will be evident for all to see.

God bless you, see you next week.