A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1
Dear God, I’ve done both, and this is very true. The funny thing about harsh words is that they are so much fun to plan and even fun to execute, but they almost NEVER end up working like I think they will work.
So what is it in me that is being spotted while I plan my harsh words? Why does it feel so good in the moment?
My first mistake is that I’ve usually assumed evil, sinister motives on the other person’s part. Even though I know that nearly everyone thinks their own actions are just and justified, I don’t try to see it from their vantage. I just see the wrong they did to me and I plan my own righteous vindication. As I get older I am better at thinking through this part before pouncing, but I have a long way to go.
The next part is a big deal because it is what Satan uses to divide us. It becomes about my rights. I have a right to X, Y, and or Z, and someone has infringed on my rights. Well, I can take care of that. I’ll just let them have it. What I forget is that I don’t have any rights in your kingdom. That’s not to say that you want me to be a doormat, but you certainly ask me to turn the other cheek if it means furthering your kingdom. If I can be a witness to someone through humility and approaching them in love instead of self-righteous anger, then I think I’ve probably made you smile.
Father, help me to remember this passage and this lesson. Help me to be one step closer to being your worshipping child today that I was yesterday. And help me to get one step closer tomorrow. It’s not about how clever I am, or how much I can take another person down. It’s about how much I can do to lead them into your presence, and I will never do that while tearing them down.
In Jesus’s name I pray,
Amen
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