June 9, 2020 – Click here to listen
One day while deer hunting I learned an interesting lesson about anger management that I shall never forget. It was such a beautiful day that I really didn’t seem to care whether I saw a deer or not. I was sitting on my deer stand high up in a tree enjoying the warm morning sun and observing the various wildlife in close proximity to me. I was greatly amused by a squirrel that was perched on a limb in the same tree in which I was sitting. He was eating a white oak acorn and a blue jay was loudly berating and scolding him from a perch a mere inch or two above his head. The squirrel seemed oblivious to the blue jay screaming at him and calmly munched away with his jaw moving ninety miles an hour as he enjoyed his meal.
I wondered at the squirrel’s unmindful disregard of this nuisance and its incredible patience in totally ignoring it. I scowled as I began thinking that if I were that squirrel, I’d reach up and grab that chattering raucous pest by its throat and before he ever knew what hit him, I’d rip him to pieces with feathers flying everywhere. I’d then calmly go back to enjoying my breakfast, but only now I would enjoy some peace and quiet. That blue jay wouldn’t be bugging anyone else I tell you.
As I continued to watch, I marveled at the little squirrel’s calm demeanor.
The squirrel was unruffled and unfazed by the blue jay’s antics, and simply disregarded the entire commotion and continued to calmly sit there enjoying its meal and the beautiful morning. After several minutes of being ignored, the blue jay finally became disgusted and flew away to try to find someone else to bother.
I thought about those raucous jerks in life that so love to try and torment me (and others), and I considered that if I were to ignore them as this little squirrel had done, they too would soon tire of it, fly away, and leave me to my peace and quiet. If I confront them, there will be chaos and problems and I will enjoy no peace.
By ignoring its tormentor, the little squirrel enjoyed its peace and serenity. Now that is how God intends us to be. That is the “glory” that He talks about in Proverbs when it states: “Peace and serenity” are God’s GLORY!
God wants us to enjoy this life and live in harmonious peace and serenity, but in order to achieve it we need to overlook the harassment of raucous obnoxious jerks. We all encounter them, but how we react is what is most important
Proverbs 19:11
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger
And his glory is to overlook a transgression.