When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials.- Nehemiah 5:6-7
Nehemiah is in the middle of his mission: building a wall around Jerusalem. He finds that the people are treating each other poorly. Some were taking great advantage of others. Nehemiah is steamed. So he . . . thinks. He uses his anger to ponder.
What?
I usually use anger to motivate me to some strong action. Some of the time (OK, maybe most of the time) it is the wrong action. Or maybe the right action with the wrong attitude. I am so charged up over my disappointment and anger that I sometimes get blind. Nehemiah takes a breather, takes stock of the situation, then takes action. Anger. Ponder. Action. I usually drive through the pondering stage like a NASCAR driver chasing the checkered flag.
God, help me to slow down. When things come up that anger me, help me to remember that my next step is to ponder, not to act. In the pondering, please speak louder than me. Sometimes I am not such a good listener.
[tags]devotions, Bible, journaling, Nehemiah, anger, actions, thinking, NASCAR[/tags]