Chill
He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Proverbs 17:27
The word Calm means chill and cool in Hebrew. The second half of today's key verse literally means "a wise person keeps cool."
The heart is like a control panel for the body. When our heart rate increases, and our body temperature increases, we sweat to try and cool ourselves down and regulate our body temperature. Because body, mind and spirit are interconnected, just as our temperament, the Bible warns us not to become "hot-tempered," which will lead to foolish behavior.
Having a calm spirit describes someone who is even-tempered and cool-headed. When faced with a volatile situation or under pressure, a wise man can use a few words and maintain a calm attitude, simply by exercising self-control. This allows the Holy Spirit to calm down instead of acting from the flesh.
“Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger” James 1:19 offers us wisdom for our everyday communications and practical living. Being calm gives us patience and allows us to listen to others. When we listen, try not to listen to respond, but to listen to understand what the other person is trying to say. This is the key to "quick to listen".
When it comes to "slow to speak", wise people have restraint with their words, which enables them to think deeply before speaking. Having restraint with words demonstrates understanding and calm.
Last but not least, I believe the key to slowing anger is trusting the process, we trust God to act on our behalf and control the situation, so that we don't need to react and vindicate ourselves, as a calm spirit diffuses anger. Proverbs 15:1
Chilling out means trusting the process. When we have spiritual understanding, we can chill out even in the most difficult circumstances, since the Holy Spirit makes our hearts still and brings calm. Keep calm and trust God!
Blessing prayer: May the Holy Spirit guide us to listen and speak in a calm manner, to deal with all situations with patience, and to retrain ourselves from anger and trust the Lord during the process. In Jesus' name, Amen.
