“A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger.

Proverbs 15:1 AMP

Today we are given so excellent advice when faced with a difficult situation. Pride is a dangerous thing! When we find ourselves thinking about what “we deserve” and why “we are right,” it is best to remember the truth! What we deserved was the punishment of God because we choose a way that was not right! I am reminded of the Scripture that says,

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” 

Proverbs 16:18 AMP

The word pride in the Hebrew language means “to be arrogant or conceited; to have an undue warranting (the justifying of actions) of a moral failure.” There are solemn words of warning given by God to His people in the Old Testament;

“‘But if you do not obey Me and do not [obediently] do all these commandments, 15if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul rejects My ordinances, so that you will not [obediently] do all My commandments, and in this way break My covenant, 16I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you sudden terror, consumption, and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to languish also. And you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat what you plant. 17I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you. 18If in spite of all this you still will not listen to Me and be obedient, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19I will break your pride in your power, and I will make your sky like iron [giving no rain and blocking all prayers] and your ground like bronze [hard to plow and yielding no produce].20Your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit.”

Leviticus 26:14-20 AMP

Notice that the issue keeping the blessing of God away and incurring His judgement is pride! It is the justification of immoral behavior regarded as moral! We see this trend in action in our world today. That which is right is now wrong, and that which is wrong is now proclaimed as right! Man in his arrogance and pride has lifted his fist to heavens and proclaimed, “we will have none of your ways!” Notice that the more pride enters the matter the more hostility is created against God. So how are we to respond to these encounters? Our verse today gives us some answer, “a gentle word!” 

The word gentle here is the word meaning “pertaining to an attitude or behavior which is not harsh; a positive moral quality.” It was a butcher’s term used of a cut of meat that is tasty and full of flavor! Our answer to the sinner must be seasoned with salt yet full of truth and love. We know that the demonic spirits of this world will try their best to bring wrath upon us but we must always recognize the attack of the enemy and not take of personally! Remember the words of Jesus?

“Remember [and continue to remember] that I told you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21But they will do all these [hurtful] things to you for My name’s sake [because you bear My name and are identified with Me], for they do not know the One who sent Me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have [the guilt of their] sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.”

John 15:20-22 AMP

We must remember that confrontation is inevitable for the Christian. When we find ourselves under attack of giving a defense for the hope that is within us, we must pray and ask the Holy Spirt for the right words. When Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees, He always answered with words that could not be refuted and pierced the darkness of men’s souls. He was not interested in wining an argument but rather winning the souls of men!

Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken