A Daily Devotion for Monday, Feb 23
- ontrakk
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Proverbs 15:1-9
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,
but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
The eyes of the LORD are everywhere,
keeping watch on the wicked and the good.
The soothing tongue is a tree of life,
but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.
The house of the righteous contains great treasure,
but the income of the wicked brings ruin.
The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
but the hearts of fools are not upright.
The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.
The LORD detests the way of the wicked,
but he loves those who pursue righteousness.
This passage and reflection made me smile- avoiding conflict entirely has been my lifelong path. I have had little practice deescalating an argument. Like the writer of the devotion said, “It takes courage and humility to respond with a gentle answer.” This is something I need to pray about, because I believe avoiding conflict has not been a superpower for me, but quite the opposite. The Holy Spirit is within me, ready to guide and instruct. There is no conflict or human argument that I could not survive with the support, strength and guidance of God.
Holy Lord, help me to see when conflict needs to be gently resolved and not avoided. Help me to respond in a loving and calm way instead of turning away. Thank you, Lord, for your grace. Amen
Becky, transforming
Proverbs 15:1-9. A gentle answer
I avoid conflict and arguments. I turn around and walk away. I did not grow up around conflict. My parents never argued. My friends and I never argued. As I grew up and looked around and witnessed conflict, I was very uncomfortable and just turned away. To read about how this man stopped the argument is eye opening. It is something to remember.
Prayer: Gracious God, help me remember that even in the midst of argument and conflict, Jesus loves all of us. AMEN
Proverbs15:1-9
When I began my role as administrator at the surgery center I retired from, I very quickly learned that when managing the staff it was essential to choose my words very, very carefully. I tended to have a bit of a “short wick” and it took a while and a very concerted effort to keep that under control. I came to realize, as this Proverbs reading teaches, that calm words cool folks down and blunt or harsh words can anger or stir folks up, genuinely and focused listening always helps a disagreement. Words matter.
Dear God, please help me with my words. When I am frustrated or hurt please slow my response. Please teach me to choose words that…
Monday, February 23rd, 2025
A GENTLE ANSWER
(Focus) to show grace in disagreement
Today’s reading Proverbs 15: 1-9
Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
This proverb is from Solomon. We could use his wisdom every day for God's blessing. Simply said If someone is angry, use gentle speech to calm them. (Easier said than done) if any scripture was ever written for me this would be the one. Perhaps it should be my second life verse. I almost always feel something else first before I get angry. I might feel offended or disrespected or even having no voice at all. When these feelings are intense enough, i just get angry. Past experiences and poor coping skills have…
Proverbs 15:1-9
Having experienced from both sides every permutation of the argument scenario described in Proverbs 15, I can attest to the truth of the wisdom offered by Solomon. I have been the fool gushing folly, I have been the wise one spreading knowledge and everything in between. The deeply embedded sin of pride will not allow some people to simply seek compromise and peace as opposed to a single-minded, selfish insistence on their own way. This primitive way of being permeates our culture from the sand-box of pre-school to the halls of corporate, educational and political power. It is not serving us well. Will God see fit to provide a leader or leaders with wisdom and temperment approaching that…