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Bible verse: Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
Insight: This Bible verse speaks on the power of God's peace. It takes a lot of peace to not be a reactive person in certain situations. It takes a lot of peace to think about your words before you say them. It takes a lot for us to go against our flesh and react in a way that is God-honoring and not one that is harmful to others. Our words carry so much weight. We can either uplift others or tear each other down simply by what we say. We are called to speak in truth and sometimes the truth can be painful. The beauty of our words is that, although we speak the truth, we can speak it in a way that is gentle and God-honoring. When we give into our flesh and speak in anger, we become reactive and hurtful people. We build anger up inside of ourselves and others, and it sits there until it becomes resentment. The last thing we need is to feel resentment toward others and to have others resent us. There is so much freedom found in being able to use our words with gentle truth and kindness instead of letting our emotions control us.
Work application: This applies to a work setting because there are different ways to communicate with our coworkers, employees, etc. There are days when it may feel harder to hold our tongue, but it is evident that our words should be gentle instead of in anger. Let's say there's an instance where your coworker has been slacking off lately and hasn't been getting their work done. You may depend on some of the work this coworker produces, and it may feel extremely frustrating for you because you need to get things done. There are at least two ways that you can react—you can be angry at your coworker and use your words with anger and spite, or you can come alongside them and ask them why they haven't been getting their work done. Are they okay? Is there anything you can do? Communicate with them how important their work efforts are for you to also get your work done. This doesn't mean that we shouldn't stand up for ourselves or get our points across, there is just a way to do so that does not demean the other person. Jeff McHugh co-author of From Illusion to Reality, speaks on a person's character. He expresses that humility, empathy, compassion, and selflessness should be an integral part of who a person is, especially in the workplace! Let's strive to be people who act in kindness and use our words with gentleness and truth.
Grateful: I am grateful that God gives me peace in situations that are difficult. I am grateful that He has given me the ability to use my words for good instead of anger.
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Contributor: Jessica Carrera holds a B.A. in English with a concentration in writing and a minor in Biblical Studies from Biola University. She aspires to touch the lives of others through her words.