A Gentle Answer

I was reading Proverbs 15:1-4 this morning. Solomon has some pretty strong words about how we speak to people and what we say. I love how he starts..."A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of the fool belches out foolishness."

Image what our lives would be like if we followed Solomon's advice, just in our relationships alone. What if I gave gentle answers to...

...my kids - deflects anger

...my wife when we disagree - deflects anger

...my boss when we don't see eye to eye - deflects anger

...gentle answers to the police officer who stops me for speeding - ok that goes with out saying.

What would happen if the Church, followers of Christ, used the tongue of the wise. Solomon is saying that the way we speak and the attitude we have when we speak either makes people want to listen to what we have to say or it angers them by what we say.

What if Church leaders used the tongue of the wise? How would that affect the way the world sees us. How would it affect our political landscape? How would it change the moral and social debates we're having in this country.

Here's what I think. It's easier to be disagreeable than it is to be gentle. It's easier to "speak the truth in love", which is usually code for being mean and feeling ok about it, than it is to speak with the tongue of the wise.

I think more than anything else, I want to be wise and gentle. It seems like those two things are the combination to many open doors.