Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”
Our Bible verse for today: “A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.” Proverbs 15:1 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “It’s not just what you say but how you say it.”
In Proverbs 15 Solomon had a point he wanted to make about the proper use of language. In verse 1 he told us to be gentle in speech rather than hurtful. In verse 2 he urges us to speak words of knowledge rather than foolishness. In verse 3 he calls for a tongue that heals and brings life, rather than one that is devious and causes hurt. In verse 18 he again returns to the idea of not allowing anger to fuel hurtful words, and in verse 28 he notes that a righteous person thinks before they speak but a wicked person just blurts out evil things.
Words are powerful. That’s true not just with respect to which words you use, but also how you use them. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it. Your tone of voice and the intended meaning behind your words matter just as much, if not more, than the actual definition of the individual words.
Words can be great tools which help us to control a situation and make things better, or they can be weapons which inflict pain and cause harm. Each of us is responsible for the words we speak, and we can in fact control our words if we want to.
Since as a Christian you have the Holy Spirit of God living inside of you that means that you are essentially a walking, talking, mobile temple of God’s Holy Spirit. Everywhere you go you bring the Holy Spirit with you, and you can therefore introduce the fruit of the Spirit into any situation you walk into. When you open your mouth words of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control should flow (Galatians 5:22-23).
I have sometimes asked people to consider whether or not they are more like a thermometer or a thermostat in this respect. A thermometer simply reflects the temperature, a thermostat controls the temperature. A person who is like a thermometer simply reflects back whatever they experience. So if there is anger in the room, the thermometer gets angry. If there is sadness, then the thermometer is sad too, etc …
A person who is like a thermostat on the other hand, controls things. If the thermostat walks into a room where there is anger or conflict, they speak words of love and reconciliation. If they find sadness, the thermometer speaks of comfort and hope. If the situation is tense and anxious, the thermometer speaks peace and calmness.
Words are powerful, and the way you use them matters very much. I encourage you to use your words today to be a blessing rather than a curse, a source of comfort and peace, rather than anger or strife.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 