Being Gentle

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

Communication…it’s the key to healthy relationships. Our communication skills can drastically improve or impede our chances of success and happiness in life. In fact, ineffective communication is oftentimes the root cause of major problems in our lives.

Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time or in the wrong way tremendously affects relationships at home, work, school, church, and beyond. Sometimes saying nothing when we should have said something even affects our relationships. Every aspect of our communication – words, tone of voice, gestures, facial expressions, timing – affects how we communicate. Proverbs 15:1 emphasizes the importance of how we communicate by saying that our words can either extinguish or escalate the anger of another person.

Every time we are angry, or someone is angry with us, we have a choice to be gentle or to be harsh and unkind. Which way we choose to respond can determine the outcome of our conversations. And the outcome of conversations determines the outcome of our relationships. It is important to remember that we are not responsible for the response of others, but only for our own. In order to be gentle, our focus must shift from what the other person has done to what will please God. When Christ is our focus, and we depend on His power, we have the ability to change the course of conversations and relationships.

While there is no guarantee that a gentle answer will always dispel anger, we do know that our gentleness always pleases God. Our obedience shouldn’t depend on the outcome but on the worth and glory of Christ Jesus.

Dear Lord, please help me to be gentle with my words today. I pray that my actions and attitude will be a reflection of Your gentleness. In Jesus’ name, amen.