When Others Provoke Us to Anger?
"After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly." 1 Samuel 1:9-10 NRSV
Living in community is messy, and we are bound to get our buttons pushed from time to time. Sometimes it's intentional, and other times the other person may not even know it happened. Maybe it was someone close to you or perhaps someone from the crowds on social media who you have never met? Either way, we have a choice in how we will respond.
Do we lash out in anger? Do we build an airtight case for why they are wrong, and we are right? Do we avoid them but gossip about what happened to anyone and everyone who will listen - slandering their name in the process?
The prophet Samuel's father, Elkanah, had two wives. Peninnah who was able to have children, and Hannah who was not. Year after year, they would go to Shiloh to worship and make a sacrifice to the Lord. And year after year, Peninnah would provoke Hannah repeatedly about not being able to have children in an effort to irritate and bring shame on her.
We can learn a lot from Hannah's response to Peninnah's repeated provoking. As far as we know, she didn't gossip to others about the situation. Instead, she remained silent, allowing God to be her defender. Hannah pours out her soul before the Lord - giving him her anger and bitterness.
You and I would do well to follow Hannah's example when others provoke us to anger.
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