In the blogging world. many people are using this month as a 31 Day Challenge. I was inspired by a blog I love, A Slob Comes Clean, to create a 31 Day Challenge of my own, focusing on a single topic for 31 days. I am not a consistent blogger, so this is a challenge in more ways than one for me, but it nicely coincided with a challenge I've given my kids to begin to speak peacefully in our home. So I opted to combine the two and find a verse or famous quote to study every day and write a post around it.
So here goes:
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1
Take a moment to really reflect upon the words. A gentle answer - to me that implies a response, not just speaking gently but answering or responding to someone. Stirs up anger - this makes me think that the anger is existing but the harsh word stirs it, increasing its potency.
When someone comes at you with angry words or is upset, you have two choices. A gentle answer or a harsh word. The result of your words can diffuse or escalate a potentially already tumultuous situation. You have no control over how someone approaches you, nor the attitude they express. You do have control of, and responsibility to demonstrate control of, your own tongue. This verse reminds us, as we have all experienced, that how we respond can make a big difference.
I'm linking this and the following posts of this series to The Nester's 31 Day Challenge.
This is SO a growth area for me. In fact, I failed big time today, and spent time confessing to God, my daughter, and shedding a good amount of tears. This is a lifelong lesson for me. Bring it, girl!
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