Proverbs 19:11 Now Available feat. Emma Fox

ProverbsEmma Fox

Sep 20

Written By Joel Limpic

Proverbs 19:11 is now available on all streaming platforms!

THE VERSE

[11] Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

Life can be so complex, and part of that complexity involves our relationships with others. Try as we may to avoid it, conflict certainly will arise and when it does, what do we do? While we can’t control the response of others, we are accountable for how we choose to interact. How do we handle ourselves and our emotions that arise in these times of frustration?

The book of Proverbs is part of the Bible’s wisdom literature, and wisdom is precisely what we need today! Biblical wisdom explores the shape of a life that’s lived before the face of God and how it works itself out in practical ways. Proverbs seeks to help us develop “spiritual street smarts” as we live out our faith, knowing God cares and leads us into all of life, including the challenging areas like relationships.

This proverb zeroes in on someone dealing with anger and a particular offense with someone. It helps us consider two aspects of what we might need to work through.

First, what do we do with our anger? The proverb is clear: be slow to anger. It’s easy to play an “either/or” game here. Either I can feel no anger and attempt to mute it or pretend like it’s not there, or I rush to fast anger where I allow my anger to control my actions and simply succumb to its will. Neither of these are good options! There’s a third way we’re told, and it’s a way of slow anger. As you experience anger, pay attention to it but don’t be afraid of it! Instead, be curious and explore what it’s stemming from. Allow it to lead you into a conversation with God. Ask Him to reveal if any aspects of your own heart need His light or correction. Don’t forget that God gets angry too! Yes, it’s a perfect and righteous anger. His is an anger that is caused by the right things, is felt in the right proportion, and is expressed in the right way. While possible, it is much harder for us to match this. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:26 to “be angry…” but accompanies it with this additional charge: “… and do not sin.” By His Spirit, we can increasingly grow in our ability to live out this proverb, and as we do so, image our heavenly Father who is slow to anger (Exodus 34:6).

Second, what do we do with our offense? We can either hold onto an offense and nurse it like it’s something to be fed, or we can release it. In this case, we overlook it; we forgive. We choose to not hold a grudge. We don’t say it didn’t happen, but rather it means we simply choose to not dwell on it. This is very similar to God, who though He knows all things, chooses to remove our transgressions from us as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12) and remember them no more. Does that mean our omniscient God ceases to know what those things were? By no means! He simply refuses to hold them against us.

It’s in the New Testament that we finally come to see how He ultimately overlooks our offenses: through His Son’s sacrifice on the cross. He paid the debt that we owed! As we learn to receive His forgiveness, we in turn embody this forgiveness toward others. As He covers our true offenses, we learn to cover the offenses of others. It doesn’t mean those offenses don’t need to be confronted or should simply be ignored. We don’t turn a blind eye to justice. It simply means we refuse to allow the offense to lead us into resentment. As God has forgiven us our trespasses, so we forgive others their trespasses.

In this moment, think of this proverb as a mirror. As you look into it, what do you see about yourself? Are you generally quick or slow to anger? Try to get specific and think about particular people and scenarios. Are you someone who holds onto an offense or releases it? What might it look like to become someone who embodies this proverb more? Ask the Spirit for the wisdom and power to do so.

The Song & The Artist

This song was written by Emma Fox, a a singer-songwriter and producer from Dallas, TX. She shared a bit about this passage:

My anger doesn't look like yelling or screaming or hitting. It looks like passive-aggressive silence, bitterness, and gossip behind your back. It is simply a facade of peace, while rage burns behind it. As I read Proverbs 19:11, the words that stood out strongest to me are “anger” and “glory.” Two opposites. The call to be slow to anger means I believe the best, I seek to understand what hurts, and I cover the offense. I look into the merciful, compassionate, loving face of Christ. And I embody His forgiveness. When I overlook an offense, I cover. I forgive, I move towards the other person in love. I take the log out of my own eye before addressing their tiny speck. And by doing so I reflect the glory of God. I radiate the beauty of Christ when I choose to forgive. Hebrews 8:12 tells us that God remembers our sin no more, and so as we forgive the offense of another, we should remember their sins no more. Meditating on this verse the last couple of months has been so good because almost every day I have to choose glory over anger.
In producing this song, I wanted it to be simple and clear. I try to highlight “anger” and “glory.” Anger sits alone, bare, isolated, uncomfortable. Glory and Overlook are the highest notes of the song on purpose. They shine and shimmer. They give the release. You hear cymbals and bells signify the joyous triumph of forgiveness. When we choose forgiveness, love, and kindness we see glory. It is so much better to walk around being forgiving, happy, glorious people. I hope this song helps you to choose glory over anger.

Written and produced by Emma Fox. Mixed and mastered by Nathan Fox.

Emma Fox - Vocals, guitars, synths
Nathan Fox - Drums, synths