Dear Diary,
On my Day 15 of the #40Day_Zip_it_Challenge I learned about the value of a soft answer from Judges 8:1-3; 12:1-16; 1 Kings 12:1-6 & Proverbs 15:1. To be very honest, whenever someone comes to me in wrath, am usually tempted to respond harshly. Wisdom shows us the value of a soft answer.
Judges 8:1-3, the men of Ephraim sharply reprimanded Gideon for not calling them when he went to fight with the Midianites.See, huu si ni uchokozi tu! Instead of responding to them harshly, he handled the matter adroitly by praising Ephraim. Upon hearing the favorable response, their anger toward Gideon subsided. Wuuuuueeh, mtu anakuja kwako na ubaya alafu unakuwa mpole! That was not enough, in a similar scenario, these men of Ephraim picked up an issue with Jephthah for not calling them to fight against the people of Ammon. They even threatened to burn down his house. Aaaaiii, kwani who do these Ephraimites think they are! Jephthah gave them a piece of his mind. Eeer, I nearly gave a round of applause for Jephthah but held my peace when I read the consequences that followed. He gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim, Judges 12:1-6.
Another case in point, 1Kings 12-1-16, King Rehoboam harsh answer to the people of Israel when they requested him to lighten up the burdensome taxes King Solomon had imposed on the people made him lose the 10 tribes of Israel. At first, King Rehoboam consulted the elders who told him to speak to the people good words (v. 7) but he rejected their advice and sought the advice of his agemates who advised him to exercise his authority by threatening the people with harsher treatment than before. He said, " My little finger shall be thicker than my father's waist! v.10-11. Enyewe hapo King Rehoboam answered the people roughly and harshly. His choice of words inflamed the people; they rebelled and ultimately the kingdom divided.
Surely, wrath can be avoided if we give a soft answer. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger!" Eeer, I have been there, inflamed by words, resulting in severed relationships.
Now that I understand the power of words, I repent and pray for God to "Set a guard over mouth, o Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips," Psalm 141:3.
Regards,
NzakuNashipae
© Jesus loves you
NzakuNashipae
© Jesus loves you
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