Communication is Key || Proverbs 15:1 || Weekend Wind-Down #5

Welcome to the fifth week of “Weekend Wind-Down.” This series is where we take the verse of the day, look at the face value interpretation, check the background and context of the verse, do a deeper dive on the focus scripture, and figure out what we can walk away with. 

Today’s verse is Proverbs 15:1, which says this: 

15 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.

Face Value

We should be gentle when we talk to each other because it helps keep us calm. When we use harsh words, it can lead to rough relationships.

Background

Proverbs teach us to attain wisdom, discipline, a sensible life, and to do what is right and fair. Our passage today is in the middle of learning the wisdom for all people. This wisdom is one that Solomon gives to all people. These short sayings give us practical wisdom for our daily lives. We need to study them and integrate them into our lives.

Deep Dive

Arguing with someone who insists on answering softly or gently is equally tricky. Harsh words and loud voices almost always resemble an angry response. If we want to change that and find a more peaceful way, we should choose gentle words and muted reactions.

Judges 8:1-3 gives us an example of this can look. Check it out here: 

1 Then the people of Ephraim asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us this way? Why didn’t you send for us when you first went out to fight the Midianites?” And they argued heatedly with Gideon. 

2 But Gideon replied, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t even the leftover grapes of Ephraim’s harvest better than the entire crop of my little clan of Abiezer?

3 God gave you victory over Oreb and Zeeb, the commanders of the Midianites army. What have I accomplished compared to that?” When the men of Ephraim heard Gideon’s answer, their anger subsided.

Ephraim’s leaders felt left out because Gideon had not called them to join the battle but had them in place to “clean up” the escaping Midianites, so they angrily confronted them. Gideon assured the leaders of Ephraim that their accomplishment was even more significant than that of his clan. His diplomatic explanation pointed out that his guard had managed to capture the enemy’s generals, thus cutting off the leaders from their army. Much of the necessary labor of any workforce is considered by many to be dirty work. Such work is vital to getting any big task done. The church needs all kinds of workers to help it function effectively.  

Take-Home Point

Communication is critical for many things. It’s vital in relationships to ensure it lasts. It’s vital at your workplace so your boss and coworkers can ensure the job gets done. How you communicate to others, and yourself makes a difference. It’s easy for us to be our own worst enemy. It allows a more negative voice to dominate our minds, picking on those thin wrongs we need and blowing them out of proportion. A negative mindset will create a hostile spirit, which will spread to others through your words and actions. We should be gentle with ourselves and others. Paul even mentions in his writings to correct each other gently. There’s a way of telling others the wrong they did to do without biting their head off. There’s a way of picking yourself up when you say the wrong thing to someone. It requires gentleness. Think about the story we talked about in Judges. Ephraim’s army felt left out. When I feel left out, I might be hurt, frustrated, sad, or some combination of the three. Harsh communication takes those unchecked emotions and lashes out at those that hurt you.

Gentle communication takes those emotions, sits with them, and talks them out with a close friend. Gideon had to remind them of their previous victories, which calmed them down. We’ll run into rough parts of life every day, maybe even multiple times a day. We can fixate our minds on the consistency of those rough moments without remembering that positives happen. Emotions come and go, and memories come and go, but God lasts with us always. Through our previous good and bad times, God was there. Through our current sound and bad times, God was there. Spoiler alert! Through our future good and bad times, God will be there. We have the chance to celebrate our good moments with God and process through our bad moments with God, and how we walk away from that conversation is how we’ll see our communication flourish.

Thank you for joining me for this Weekend Wind-Down as we explored how we need to communicate based on the Wisdom from Solomon. Stay tuned for the next reflection. Let me close out with prayer. 

Loving God, help us to communicate in ways that honor you. 

Let your spirit flow through our words in our conversation. 

Let your spirit flow through our bodies in our actions. 

All glory belongs to you no matter what. Amen.