At one point, awhile ago, I became so angry with a family member that I did a hurtful thing, purely out of spite. Then, recently, I was tempted to repeat the action. I even told someone that I was contemplating doing this mean thing again.
Right afterward, I was alone as I walked around the room pondering the choice I had. A deep sense of peace suddenly swept over me, and I realized what a blessing it was to be able to make a conscious decision about what to do. This was followed immediately by the realization that I had no desire to do any mean thing. I went back to the person and told the individual that I wasn’t going to do anything, adding: “I don’t have an angry bone in my body.” It was a thrilling moment. To know this about myself brought me inexpressible comfort and joy.
It’s interesting that I came to the right conclusion about myself when I was alone—just like Jacob, when he wrestled with the angel (see Genesis 32:24–32). Because he had sent away his wives, children, servants, and animals to protect them from possible harm, Jacob was emotionally free to do what he did next, which was to struggle with error.
