LIFE SCRIPTS

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1 NIV

A contrast is drawn between a gentle answer and a harsh word. From the structuring of the verse, it can be assumed that the gentle answer is directed to a harshly put question. Alternatively, the harsh words are given by someone who ends up stirring anger. We do not have control over the actions of others. However, we have a say over the way we react to others. Also, our words and the how we use them have the power to influence people’s attitudes towards us. Something unmistakeable springs out from this passage. It’s not only the answer we give that matters. How we give it also does matter before God. Why? Because our mood and attitudes as we speak dictate the moods and attitudes of the ones we’re responding to. Someone with an angry attitude always struggles to remain angry before a gentle person. However, if they do, they end up apologizing in the long run. An attitude of gentleness must govern our dealings with others. A bad attitude can ruin a good atmosphere just by delivering an arrogant word. We might have the right things to say to the right people. However, how we say them matters just as much as what we’re saying. Our moods, attitudes, gestures and voice intonation convey a louder message than the words we use.