W O R D S

Proverbs 15:1

Words are a powerful tool and the attitudes we convey by our tone of voice can be equally strong.  The Bible speaks about these ideas in many places and one of the most insightful follows.

In the Proverbs at chapter 15 and verse 1 it says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

I'm sure we've all seen how a harsh word can stir up a person's anger.  It's like striking a match and throwing it into a pool of gasoline.  The situation is immediately inflamed. 

This happens all the time during competition.  As the heat of intensity increases our fuses shorten and we often say things we wouldn't normally say.  We often speak in tones we normally wouldn't use with our friends and teammates.  It's easy for a harsh word to stir up anger and thus harm our relationships.

The marvelous promise contained here is that we can choose to answer gently and thus deflect the anger or wrath that is coming our way.  It's like having a big fire extinguisher in our hands, we can put out the fire of harsh words by answering gently or kindly.  A smile, a chuckle, a compliment and subdued, calm tones are like throwing cold water on hot, angry words.  The wise use of gentle words can preserve relationships with coaches and teammates that are often in jeopardy of damage through intense situations.

Pray today for the Lord to use you as a speaker of gentle answers and for Him to keep you from speaking harsh words that stir up anger.

Bible Reading Plan:
Mark 1:1-8
I Corinthians 1:1-17
Psalms 72
Joshua 1-2