ShowdownNäide

When’s the last time someone spoke to you with a gentle word? Maybe your child offered an unexpected “I love you,” or your spouse sent you a sweet text, or a friend paid you a compliment. Even though they make an impact in the moment, those kind words are quickly forgotten. For some reason it’s easier to let the nicest words spoken to us move in one ear and out the other. But harsh words? Those tend to stick. You can probably remember those much more easily. Whether it was spoken yesterday or years ago, those harsh words have a way of staying with us. They have a way of stirring up anger in us, just as this proverb says.

So what do we do? While we can’t control the words of others, we can start with ourselves. We can choose to be people who use gentle words. We can choose to be people who don’t use harsh words in anger. We can choose to set the example for others by choosing to respond with kindness. This week, give it a try! Do your best to respond to harsh words or conflicts in your life with gentleness. As you do, watch how the showdowns diffuse or the conflicts resolve as a result!