Devotion: Proverbs 16:32

Proverbs 16:32 Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.

We are a little more than halfway through our month of patience and today we look at another comparison. This time the comparison is between a person who can exercise great patience and a skilled warrior who is successful in conquest. The two may seem impossible to compare, but the author of Proverbs provides it nonetheless.

So how does a warrior compare to a person with patience? How do we make sense of this verse and understand exactly what is being said?

A military person has a role to play and a job to do. They are usually under someone else’s leadership, under a commanding officer of some sort, who instructs them on what actions to engage in. But more so than that, they have specific training that guides their actions. They have discipline to perform their duty and obey leadership. A good soldier demonstrates great strength and power in military conquest.

The author of Proverbs compares this highly disciplined, skilled, obedient soldier to a person who has self-control and patience. He makes a comparison between the two indicating that the one who has patience exercises far greater strength than the physical power or military conquest of a warrior. Controlling one’s actions and holding back instead of responding emotionally takes more ability than years of training and battle. Their internal discipline far surpasses that of the warrior’s external power and might.

This proverb serves as a reminder that emotional intelligence and self-control takes more discipline than responding reactively through physical means. It takes great effort to master our own temper and emotions, to hold back when everything within us screams to do something. We focus on our inner character and personal management rather than seeking out some means of external control or power.

Let this verse be a reminder to you that we don’t need to respond to life’s struggles from an emotional standpoint. We don’t have to respond with physical power. Instead, exercise physical restraint and self-control, being slow to anger and waiting on the Lord to bring about resolution.

Prayer: Lord, Help me to recognize when I respond to things emotionally. Remind me that it is better to be patient and self-controlled than to react physically. Amen 

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