“A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.” (Proverbs 12:16)
We think and feel many things. Our heart at times is greatly agitated. A foolish person does not give God the time to calm them down and guide them in a wise course of action. They immediately begin speaking or acting.
When someone does something shameful in our eyes we naturally react and want to set them straight. Are we always right to do so? Is God giving us the “go ahead,” or are we operating in the “wrath of man” that “worketh not the righteousness of God” (James 1:20)?
We must be Spirit-led in our correction. A person may be ashamed already by their behavior. God may already be at work in them; or they may be beating themselves up. If one is overtaken in a fault, those led by the Spirit are to restore that person in a spirit of meekness. (Gal. 6:1) We are not meek when we quickly arise in our own spirit to address any issue.
A prudent person is a temperate person, who rules their own spirit. If we fail to exercise meekness and temperance when it comes to another’s shameful behavior, we may end up being the one who is ashamed.