A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1
This weekend I parented solo. Brent was on a camping trip and it was just the boys and me. We genuinely had the best time together. It was restful, playful, and honestly they were all pretty engaged. I say this because, if you have teens, you know this isn’t always the case. For whatever reason I didn’t combat AirPods, chronic texting and Youtube shorts like I sometimes do.
Maybe it was because Brent was gone and my one-on-one conversations with the boys doubled, but I was hyper-aware of my responses to them and my tone when asking for help.
I’m not being hard on myself, just evaluative, but honestly I can be quite sharp with my tone. I don’t intend to be harsh – maybe it is just a mom’s desire to get things done in an efficient and timely manner – but I could definitely work on giving a softer response to my people.
So, as the Holy Spirit often does, I had my own private side bar with Him at church on Sunday. Sitting in my seat during service, I was gently reminded of Proverbs 15:1.
A soft answer turns away wrath. 15:1a
I like the idea of a “soft” answer. It is very reflective of how God speaks to us, right!? He isn’t harsh or hurtful in His instruction.
Firm but loving. Always.
Soft, in the Hebrew, simply means tender. Oh how I want to respond tenderly towards those I love. Even if I am in “super efficient mom-mode” I can STILL be gentle and tender towards others.
I mean, I want others to speak tenderly to me, too. I am MUCH more likely to respond and serve someone when I am spoken to with genuine tenderness and love.
Responding with a soft(er) tone will be an ongoing area of refinement and growth. I doubt I will consistently bat 100 on this, but I sure am glad to have the gentle reminder from the Lord.
Anyway. Nothing too profound today. Just a living Word I wanted to share. I pray it ministers to you, as well.
Love, B xoxo
Becky Crenshaw 