Wise Up: Proverbs 15
Proverbs 15 (NIV)
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,
but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
3 The eyes of the Lord are everywhere,
keeping watch on the wicked and the good.
4 The soothing tongue is a tree of life,
but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
5 A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.
6 The house of the righteous contains great treasure,
but the income of the wicked brings ruin.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
but the hearts of fools are not upright.
8 The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.
9 The Lord detests the way of the wicked,
but he loves those who pursue righteousness.
10 Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path;
the one who hates correction will die.
11 Death and Destruction lie open before the Lord—
how much more do human hearts!
12 Mockers resent correction,
so they avoid the wise.
13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
but heartache crushes the spirit.
14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.
16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord
than great wealth with turmoil.
17 Better a small serving of vegetables with love
than a fattened calf with hatred.
18 A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,
but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.
19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,
but the path of the upright is a highway.
20 A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly brings joy to one who has no sense,
but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course.
22 Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
23 A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—
and how good is a timely word!
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent
to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead.
25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,
but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place.
26 The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked,
but gracious words are pure in his sight.
27 The greedy bring ruin to their households,
but the one who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,
but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones.
31 Whoever heeds life-giving correction
will be at home among the wise.
32 Those who disregard discipline despise themselves,
but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.
33 Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord,
and humility comes before honor.
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The most natural thing for me when someone comes at me with heat in their words, is to match their level, and maybe take it up just a notch or two. When I respond with heat, the anger escalates, and of course, communication fails. But, proverbs says, when someone comes at me with heat in their words, to respond with “gentle” words, to take it DOWN a notch or two. Volleying back gentle words, calms the situation, diffuses their anger, and leads to better communication. This is wise advice for our homes, relationships, work, church, our world, and even when driving. (OK: I kind of went too far when I included driving!)
When Sue and I worked together she used to refer to this as “talking someone down Anger Mountain”. Like talking someone off a ledge, you use calm, measured words and tone!
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1
At the center of this warning I see the conflict between a prideful, self-centered spirit and one rooted in mercy and grace. It seems a simple thing to turn away wrath by a gentle answer rooted in grace. But pride is a natural condition of man and extending grace is no simple thing. When pride rules the day, harsh words pour forth and anger follows. It’s a fool’s game, yet often I play even knowing I am bound to lose.
Lord help me put away pride and seek peace. A self-centered spirit brings no joy and offers you no glory. May my tongue extend grace, reveal your peace, display your love, and seek your glory. Gentleness Father, I seek your way.
Well said, my friend.
This verse has been one of my favorites!
Bill: I learned today that there is a psychological term for this – “non complimentary behavior.” It is used to describe when we meet hostility with warmth. Psychologists say it is powerful behavior that is extremely difficult to execute. 🙂
Again, today, I feel the Lord speaking to me about being a more patient person who is quick to listen and slow to speak.
Vs. 18 A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. I’m convicted in this area. I feel that more often than not I am the stirrer, not the calmer. Lord, help me to be the patient person who calms the quarrels in my home.
Vs. 28 The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil. This goes hand-in-hand with a hot-tempered man who stirs up dissension. I do not want to “gush evil”. I want to be a patient person who weighs my answers and words carefully. Lord, guard my mouth today. Help me to pause and reflect before I speak.
Have a Happy Friday, Sunridge!!
A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Lord help me to stay so close to you that I am always aware of your Spirit helping me to be careful with my words.
5 A fool spurns a parent’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.
10 Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path; the one who hates correction will die.
12 Mockers resent correction, so they avoid the wise.
31 Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise.
32 Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.
The five above verses deal with the importance of correction and discipline. We should heed Solomon’s advice if his inspired writings continually keep bringing this subject up chapter after chapter.
All of these verses speak to me on the type of day that I am having. I am not a person of conflict, but one who wants to please everyone. Today, I realize that it’s not my job to please everyone.
God created me to be a mother to my child. He is my responsibility, and I have to keep him safe from those who are only want to think about themselves. I need to learn to speak up when God has equips me to do so on my son’s behalf. Holy Spirit guide my heart for me and my child with the right words to speak.
With all this being said, this is my verse of the day:
18 A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,
but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.
3 The eyes of the Lord are everywhere,
keeping watch on the wicked and the good.
This verse reminds me that God is watching everyone (including me when I am good and when I make poor choices) and the verses surround it show what he likes and dislikes about our thoughts, words, and actions. Keeping our focus on what pleases Him will help us make better choices daily. Which one of the above verses could we find some good advice to apply on a daily basis?
Could we
V1, Use soft answers in challenging situations?
V2, Apply words of wisdom to our conversations?
V4, Use a soothing tongue when we speak?
V5, Heed Correction?
V9, Pursue righteousness?
V13, Choose to have a happy heart?
V14, Have discerning hearts that seek knowledge?
V19, Choose patience over tempers?
V21, Choose to have understanding? (this can be done by gaining knowledge, often)
V26, Choose words of grace when dealing with people?
V33, Choose to follow the instruction of the lord be humble and live a life that glorifies God?
Maybe we cannot apply all of these at once. Reading the proverbs everyday will remind us to choose well. I am glad we are being challenged by Sunridge to read these.
Verse 3 reminds me that we should fear the Lord, for he sees and knows everything we do, think or even say.
The word fear in this context means to be in awe or reverence, not fear of punishment. He does know us completely, and because of the Holy Spirit he is always with us. But this forces us to accept his grace, because nothing is hidden from him and he loves us anyway. That’s why I “fear” the Lord, the truth of his grace toward us is awesome.