Soft

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

I’m guessing that most of us don’t need to know that this verse is from the Bible to know it is true.  But what most of might need to know is that we do need to place this nugget of wisdom into practice. 

Uh, that includes me.

Unfortunately.

But there is more to it than just putting a philosophy into practice.  It is about where your heart is; no, honestly, it’s more about who is in your heart.  It’s not about giving up on truth, it’s about speaking truth in love (visit Ephesians 4:15).  In fact – looking at Paul’s words from Ephesians, he strongly suggests that speaking the truth in love (which I am equating with a “soft answer”) will cause us to “grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

I like that.  Because I do need to grow into being more Christ-like.  Still.  After 33 years of being a Christ believer and follower, there is so much more room to grow.  As a matter of fact, if I am to “become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ,” the Lord best allow me to live another 100 years. 

But I’m better than I was, but not as good as I’ll be.  I’ve had to learn sometimes the hard way that, “a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger….”  But it also means that my heart, while not perfect, has definitely moved to a better place through the years.  Jesus has been more and more able to take up residency there.

Where is your heart this morning?  What is in it that wants to stir up anger; who is in it that will supply the soft answer?

I pray it is Christ….