These three verses have really stood out to me. God gave them to me last week, but I am still meditating on them.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up strife.” Proverbs 15:1
It is so easy to respond in anger. I do it all to often. Someone will say something to me, perhaps with a little attitude, perhaps not, and I will give them attitude right back. It might be face-to-face. It might be through email. I text a lot, and it is easy to text with attitude too. However, God clearly says here that a soft answer is what is needed. When I talk to someone in even a hint of anger, I am only going to stir up more strife and anger. God has called me to self-control.
“A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, nor will he go to the wise.” Proverbs 15:12
Man, I do not want to be a scoffer. There are many versees throughout scripture that list adjectives to describe a scoffer. This one stood out to me because many people do not like being corrected. I do not like being corrected. I like to be correct. So, when I get mad at someone who points out something that is not Christ-like, I am behaving like a scoffer. If I seek counsel from someone who is not wise, I am behaving like a scoffer. Ouch.
“All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives.” Provers 16:2
Of course everything that I do is right to me. I already said earlier that I want to be correct. While it might seem right to me, God judges why I am doing it. That gives me something to ponder. God looks at my motivation. Am I motivated by me? By my selfishness? Or am I motivated by true, Christ-like love? If I get upset when something doesn’t go my way, then I am motivated by selfishness. Grrr…the Bible really is a two-edged sword. I needed to meditate on this for days.
