Temper-Fire Starter

When I started to ponder gentleness this morning, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write.  Then it occurred to me.  “A gentle response defuses anger…”  (Prov. 15:1 MSG)

I’m not sure why that was the first thing that popped into my head.  Well, maybe I am.  Maybe it’s because I sometimes have a hard time with that; more often than I care to admit.

The problem is that I sometimes flip out when I am hurt or upset or stressed out, and I usually hurt the people I care about the most in the process.  Oh, I always feel terrible afterwards, but that doesn’t undo the damage I’ve caused.

I’ve always been a bit rough around the edges.  It’s primarily a defense mechanism that’s been in place for as long as I can remember.  But, the rest of this verse says, “…but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.”  Wow.  Is that what I’ve been doing?  Perhaps.

So, I don’t have any wise advice on this topic today because it’s something I’m struggling with right now.  What I have is an earnest prayer that God will pluck out the non-gentle responses from me and replace them with words that lift up, inspire and promote peace.

If you sometimes falter in this area, feel free to borrow my little prayer.  May God make us all more gentle today.  Amen.