"Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil." – Psalm 37:8

This portion of the psalm suggests to us three positive choices that negate three negative choices that lead to evil.

The negatives are unbridled anger, wrath, and worry.

We can make choices in each of these areas:

1. When anger arises, we can refrain from it. Namely, we can deal it out of the predominant place in our decision-making. That does not mean we are never angry and do not express and process out anger. It means that we do not let it run our lives or dominate our thinking.

2. When wrath seems attractive, we can forsake it. Leave it behind. Give it no voice at the table. Wrath does not have a vote. The wrath of God which is a component of God's love is an entirely different thing than man's animal instinct to lash out and inflict pain on an enemy. Human wrath is something to consciously dis-empower.

3. When we are drawn toward fretting and stewing, we can decide to stop feeding it; it has no valuable outcome for us or for anyone else. Name what frets you. Apply logic and trust in key places. Stop letting it lease space in your mind. It brings not value to your life or decision making.

Manage these three negatives with positive choices and you will avoid a lot of trouble.