His name was the Rev. Dr. Oswald Delgado. I served under him right before I went to seminary as he was the interim pastor of my home church in Tampa. Our paths only crossed for less than a year, but my faith was deeply touched by this wonderful Christian gentleman.

One Sunday in a sermon he told our congregation how he dealt with anger toward another person. “When someone does something to offend me, “I sit down right away and write them a letter.” Dr. Deldago said. “Then I put that letter in my desk drawer for a week. And a week later, I take that letter out to read it. If I still feel that way, I mail it.” Then Dr. Delgado continued, “I rarely mail the letter.”

Fools show their anger at once,
but the prudent ignore an insult.

Proverbs 12:16

Oswald Deglado knew the book of Proverbs, and it seemed to me he lived it. A quick, angry response can do significant damage to relationships and reputations. This is even more important to note in a world where Twitter, Facebook, and email are at our disposal. It might be best to pretend to ignore an insult, rather than respond foolishly.

Prayer

Dear God, remind me often of how much You love me, so that I can let the insults rest where they will. Through the loving grace of Jesus I pray. Amen.