VOW: Gentleness – Proverbs 15:1

Verse of the Week

A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath,
But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger.

Proverbs 15:1 (AMP)

Have you ever had this happen to you? You are having a bad day and someone says something kind to you and you get choked up. It’s like their kind words broke through your outer crust and found the gooey center.

Several years ago when my mom was in the hospital and my sister Gina and I were taking daily shifts staying with her. We ate in the hospital cafeteria every day for over a month.

One of those days the cashiers’ computer system was down. That fact and less than patient customers were making their job a bit more stressful. I could see that my cashier was frustrated, so I acknowledged her frustration with the unsympathetic customers and said I hoped her day got better. She was appreciative.

The next day and most days after that, I made a point of choosing her line when checking out. I even invited Gina to join me in choosing her checkout line. We always made it a point to engage with her. Her name was Olivette.

One afternoon when we were having a snack in the cafeteria, a time when there weren’t many customers. Olivette brought her adult daughter over to meet us. She introduced us as her “favorite” customers.

The point of this story is not too toot our horn, but to show that a kind, gentle, thoughtful word or gesture can have a huge impact on someone.

Live it out this week

Look for ways to positively impact someone’s life this week. At first glance this verse seems to only refer to warding off quarrels. Although it certainly does refer to that, a soft answer in almost any circumstance changes things. See what you can change this week.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Almighty Yehovah, help me this week to find ways to use kind words and actions to stave off quarrels, disagreements, and hurt feelings whether I am initially involved or not. Help me show the love and gentleness of Yeshua to all I come in contact with this week. Amen!

---

If this post has touched you or resonated with you, please consider liking, commenting, and sharing it with a friend.

---

Feature Image Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels