A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire. - Proverbs 15:1
The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. - Proverbs 15:2
There is this gal I work with. She is a tiny bit of a thing. She looks like she's fifteen and still wears kid's sizes in clothes. But there is something else you notice about her almost immediately. She is very soft spoken. Sometimes it seems she barely speaks above a whisper.
But that doesn't mean she is small in spirit ... In spirit she speaks very loudly. And I find this contradiction very endearing.
Then in contrast to her soft spoken ways, there is me. My speaking voice booms. You can definitely hear me over a loud radio. I guess it's all that theatre training I received in high school. Thank you Ms. Oliver & Ms. Ford.
But sometimes the way I say something can be taken in a way I don't intend. I've seen my soft spoken co-worker flinch when I respond to her. I don't mean to startle. I'm just trying to be understood, albeit a bit too loudly. Has something like that ever happened to you?
I need to learn that my need to be understood doesn't mean I need to shout it to the back row or the rafters.
Often it's not what we say but how we say it that brings such varied responses.
Then he shall speak to him in his wrath, and distress them in his deep displeasure. - Psalm 2:5
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in you; let me not be ashamed. Psalm 25:1-2
Now, I would never purposely try to hurt anyone's feelings by using the tone of my voice to inflict distress, but I'm sure that has happened in the past... Probably more than once.
What about you? Do your words unintentionally hurt others? Do you have trouble being heard or getting your message across? Then it is my prayer for you (and myself) that you take time today to pay attention to what you say and how you say it. And make your words like sweet music to another's ears.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. - Proverbs 7:24
1 comment:
I think you need to pray for me. I'm not having much luck living up to my daily inspiration. My day started with having to re-do something that was printed badly, and not my fault for the error. But a pain to fix. Then it sort of spiraled from there. Heaven help me!
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