April 15, 2024: I Will Choose My Words Carefully

”A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.“ -Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We have all been in situations that have made us mad, frustrated, and upset. In these moments, our response will dictate how the rest of the interaction will go. If we respond from our emotions, the message will be missed. All that will be heard is the tone and not the message. Think about how many times in our lives that we have missed the message because of how something was said. It wasn’t that the message was wrong, the delivery wasn’t in a way where it could be received. What would have happened if it was flipped the other way? If we take our time to process our message before we deliver it. Sometimes, we can’t respond in the moment because it would not be us talking. It would be our frustrations. Wisdom says be patient and think about the implications of our responses.

Solomon says and soft answer turns away anger. If we respond in a non condescending way, people may hear the heart behind the message. if we responded from a place of grace and mercy, would they be willing to listen. Our approach to others must take into consideration that our response reflects the Christ in us. Choose your words carefully because they could make all the difference.