A Soft Answer – Proverbs 15:1
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1 KJV)
“I’m so angry with right now that I could just scream!” he said with a loud, belligerent voice. She looked up at him and whispered, “I’m sorry you feel that way and I apologize.” He looked at her for a moment with a bewildered expression and said in a quiet voice, “I can barely hear you, but did you just apologize?” “Yes,” she said, “Will you forgive me?” “Of course, I forgive you,” he rejoined. Her answer to his anger was soft in two ways: audibly and the words themselves were tender. The softy spoken apology did two things there. First, it caused him to stop and think about what she had said and second, it brought his anger level down several notches. Her soft answer turned away his wrath. An otherwise good man may be swift to anger, but when his anger is given a moment to cool, his anger will dissipate as fast as it came one.
“I’m so angry with you that I could just scream!” she said with a loud belligerent, voice. He looked back at her and shouted, “Go ahead! It is your fault anyway! You distracted me as we were heading out after I ate my bowl of ice cream!” “What did you say?” she yelled back. “How is it my fault? You are the moron who put the ice cream in the pantry. You’re the idiot who left the freezer door open!” “Well fine!” he yelled. “I’m going out for more ice cream! And I might not come back!” he hollered as he wrathfully slammed the front door. She had a right to be upset with him for putting the ice cream in the pantry to melt and to leaving the freezer open ruining a lot of food. She did not have the right to use injurious words in her anger. Her grievous words stirred his anger to greater wrath. An angry rejoinder, while tempting, especially when you are also angry, will only lead to more strife.
Christians are called upon to be peacemakers, not strife engenderers! When some lashes out at you angrily, follow God’s advice and give a soft answer. In many cases, this will halt the anger and lead to reconciliation.
Read James 1:19-20; 3:1-12; Romans 12:18-19