A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. – Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. – Proverbs 15:1 (KJV)
Click here for printable verse cards: Week 32 – Printable Cards
Theme: True Wisdom
Harsh words are an epidemic in our society. When someone says or does something we don’t like, we’ve been taught by pop culture that the proper response is to think “nobody treats me that way” and lash out in return. We put such behavior on display even as young children. If another kid calls us a name, for example, our natural response is to call them a name back (then, when we get caught by our parents, to say “he/she said it first!”). But God tells us we have it exactly backwards. He teaches that harsh words simply make the situation worse, while kind words turn away anger.
My parents were recently at a grocery store when a woman said “excuse me” and asked to pass by them in the aisle. They responded with something like, “sure, go right ahead.” The woman was so shocked by their simple kind words that she said “how nice…people today are so rude you almost never hear kind words anymore.” Our words matter…let’s make sure they reflect the love and kindness of our God.
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