By Josanne Anthony, SAVED News Correspondent
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1
Man’s relationship with God and man’s relationship with each other are the two main themes found in the Word of God. We can all undoubtedly agree that if people would make greater efforts in both of these areas, the world would be a much better place.
While each of us may not be able to change the entire world, we can pursue these goals personally. Our approach and attitude can make a great difference when we are proactive in our responses to challenges.
Over time, with the use of texting and simply typing out conversations over social media, rudeness has become a more common trait. When conversations are not taking place with actual voices and face-to-face meetings, people become bolder in what they say.
As Christians, we must remember that responding to others’ rudeness with our own rudeness is not pleasing to God. The fruit of the Spirit is not evident when we allow our responses to mimic the responses of those who allow hatred, anger, and hostility to dictate their words.
Proverbs 15:1 is a powerful scripture. When faced with anger from another person, our soft answer to them has the power to do several things. It can calm the person who is upset and defuse a potentially ugly interaction. It can demonstrate the peace and calm in our souls that our Savior would like to give to every living soul. It can help us to have compassion for the one we are speaking to. It can also show our care and respect for others, giving validation to them. Some hostility comes from frustrations brought on by situations out of their control. It could be their terminally ill child or a broken-down car that is necessary to be able to work.
There are pressures all around. Everyone has them, but not everyone handles them the same. We really can’t go wrong by allowing kindness and gentleness to lead our interactions with others.
We are doing our part to create and build a calmer and kinder environment. A soft answer is a worthwhile response, and we are blessed to have inner peace to share with others.
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