Proverbs 15:1

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Sometimes it is easy as a parent, a teacher, a driver in traffic, a boss, an employee, as anyone - to want to speak out in anger or harshness, especially when we feel slighted or disdained or disrespected. As our frustration rises and our selfishness focuses, our words can become sharper and more dangerous. These harsh words stir up anger against us and within us, setting free sin, and bringing down both the accuser and the accused.

This chapter has a lot to say about the tongue. It can be used for good or evil, to tear down or build up, to blaspheme or Praise! The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly (v2), a wholesome tongue is a tree of life (v3), the lips of the wise disperse knowledge (v7), the prayer of the upright is His delight (v8), a man has joy by the answer of his mouth (v23), and the righteous studies how to answer (v28).

The Lord would have us to give a soft answer that allays the wrathful heart, allowing for peace, allowing for a defocusing of self and a dissipation of frustration. Think of Jesus when he was brought before His accusers.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

If anyone had a position to defend it was Jesus, He was perfect and could have rebuffed His accusers. Of course Jesus was being silent because He came to die and this furthered that cause. Yet we have been asked to die also, haven't we? We have been crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20). We have been asked to die to ourselves, to die to the sin nature that would like to rear it's ugly head. The Lord has asked us to let our mouths be a tool fit for the Kingdom, used for His purposes. If we have given our lives to Jesus, our tongue is not our own. It has been bought with price (1Cor 6:20) and we owe a soft answer for the sake of the the sacrifice given to us by Christ and also because of the debt of love we owe to one another (Rom. 13:8).

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Jesus said that the greatest commandments were to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as our self. If our tongue is biting and corrosive, that cannot show love and thankfulness to our Father who gave so very much that we might be with Him. If our tongue is cutting and destructive, that cannot show love to our fellow man. To love another is to take the low road, the road of humility. To let others be lifted up and not ourselves. We often get to the place where we want to defend ourselves, instead we should be willing to be silent if necessary, to allay that wrath that will surely be born of a harsh tongue.