Anger is a choice.

  On the first day of October, 2014, on my way back from  a wedding function, the bus conductor was blabbing and irritating every body in the bus. A woman seated in front turned and said to him, I am sure you can't live with a woman the way you get annoyed easily. The statement struck me and I saw myself in the statement. I flashed back to the times I got angry from my child hood to date. I remembered as a boy in primary school I tore most of my under wears because I was angry. Also, i almost flogged someone with kpako (plank) who wanted to disrupt my elder sister's wedding ten (10) years ago. Later in the evening of that day, these thoughts went through my mind along with the most recent outburst of anger I had. I became ashamed of myself because of what I saw in the scriptures. Ecc 7: 9 says,(Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or vexed, for anger and vexation lodge in the bosom of fools). I realised I have been a fool all along. Any time I exhibit anger, I am being foolish. Now, the question is how do I avoid being foolish? I realised I needed the wisdom of God not to be angry because being angry is a choice. Pro 19:11 says,(11 A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offence). This shows that i need wisdom to be patient and not to react in the face of offence. Wisdom makes you overlook an offence. This is what I need because if I refuse to be angry, it will bring glory to me instead of shame. Furthermore, as a christian,  I need to realise that the anger of man does not show the righteousness of God (James 1:19&20). I became more ashamed of myself seeing these scriptures because all the times I exhibited anger, I didn't  represent God. Pro29: 22 says NCV, ( An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin). Anger and hot tempered nature make you do all sorts of things. It could make you fight, kill, curse, destroy things,etc. Furthermore, pro 25:28 NCV says,(28 Those who do not control themselves are like a city whose walls are broken down). A man who is hot tempered and angry man is like a wall without walls or a country without boarders or a football team without the defence line. Imagine a country without border. Every body can move in or out easily from and to that country. Robbery, crime, terrorism, kidnapping, encroachment, etc will be high. Many terrible things will happen to that country without walls and also a man without self control. He will be exposed to all sorts of terrible things that may destroy him.  But Pro 16:32 says,(Better a patient person than a warrior,one with self-control than one who takes a city). This shows me who a patient man is because any one who controls his anger is a patient man. We all need the wisdom and patience of God to overcome anger. Furthermore, Pro 12:16 says, (16 Fools quickly show that they are upset, but the wise ignore insults). We all should also learn how to ignore and overlook insult. It only takes wisdom to ignore insults and anger. Pro 29:11 says, (11 Foolish people lose their tempers, but wise people control theirs). This scripture buttresses the point that it takes wisdom to control anger and temper. Please, let us work on ourselves. Wilson Ileogben