A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word sits up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
We can use our words for good or for bad. We can speak life into people or we can speak negatively. The way we speak can really impact us and those around us.
Think about the type of people you want to be around and spend time with; it's often those people that are positive and speak positively. Their words somehow lift us up and make us feel more comfortable. We naturally gravitate towards people who make us feel included, who use their words for kindness and make us feel good about ourselves.
Harsh words can cause divisions in relationships and the damage it causes, may not be able to be repaired easily, so we need to take heed in how we say things before the words roll out of our mouths! Divisions can also cause anger which can then lead to unforgiveness and hurts. Sometimes it might not be easy if someone has upset us, our first instinct is to retaliate and fight back. However, the bible says we must respond with a gentle answer. Wow, what a challenge to us! I'm sure many us can say we have responded to situations with anger.
Gentleness is not something we talk about much in today's world, as I believe people seem to see that as a weakness, but what does God say about it? We do know that it is one of the fruits of the spirit:
Col 3 v 12
Therefore as God's chosen people holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Phil 4 v 5
Let your gentleness be evident to all
Jesus was gentle and kind but his resilience in carrying out God's will was evident. He wasn't weak because he was kind, far from it, he was much stronger in character than we could ever fathom! People hated him, even putting him to death on a cross, but he still had kind words for people and forgave them. He didn't speak harshly but responded with wise words and often words filled with compassion. For even as he hung on the cross he said, 'Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do'.
What an example to follow; Jesus who was wise, kind, compassionate and forgiving! How can we build more character today, to be more like Jesus? What changes can we make in our own lives to live as Jesus did?
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