The Cooling Stream

Titus 1:7b (NKJV)

Church elder is blameless.

Church elder is the husband of one wife.

Church elder is having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.

Church elder is a steward of God.

Church elder isn't self-willed.

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The sixth attribute of a Church elder is he isn't quick-tempered.

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The Pitfalls Of Being Quick-Tempered

When a Church elder is quick-tempered, he will make a fool of himself.

A quick-tempered man acts foolishly. (Prov. 14:17)

When we let our tempers flare, we are guaranteed to act stupidly, rashly and do things we will later regret.

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The Benefits Of Being Slow To Anger

The Bible speaks of the benefits of not being quick-tempered.

One of those benefits is...

He who is slow to wrath has great understanding. (Proverbs 14:29)

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Church elder who is slow to anger always gets the whole story.

He will always get all the facts and can make a rational decision.

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Church elder who is slow to anger has the ability to calm things down.

A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention. (Prov. 15:18)

Being slow-tempered gives us the power to pacify a situation, instead of intensifying it.

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We Are Commanded To Be Slow To Anger

Not only is being slow to anger commended, it is commanded:

Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19-20)

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We can't achieve the righteousness of God by being quick-tempered because God Himself is not quick-tempered.

God is slow to anger, and as imitators of Him, we are to be as well.

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How To Be Slow To Anger

(a) Discretion

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression. (Prov. 19:11)

What makes us slow to anger?

Our discretion.

Discretion is the freedom, the authority, and the power to make our own choices and make decisions.

God the Father has given us a new heart and set us free from that old bondage.

We have got a new heritage now as children of God and citizens of heaven.

We now have the freedom in Christ to walk in righteousness, and no longer enslaved by sin.

We now have the authority to deny sin and walk in victory.

We now have the power of the Holy Spirit to conquer our flesh.

In other words, our temper is at our discretion.

We have the freedom, authority, and power to make our own choice, whether to become angry or not.

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(b) Wisdom

A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back. (Prov. 29:11)

It is wisdom that will enable us to hold our temper back.

When we fear the Lord God, we will learn to be wise.

When we realize and recognize that God judges sin, we will desire to refrain from it.

Our true fear of God will cause us to hold back our temper.

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3) Self-Control

The third place of realizing victory is found in Proverbs 16:

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

Being slow to anger is being able to rule our spirit and to have self-control.

And self-control comes from being filled with the Spirit, and walking in the Spirit.

When we follow the Spirit instead of the flesh, self-control will be a byproduct in our life.