Proverbs 15:1 -- “A soft word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Wise people learn from others; some learn only from their own experience; fools won’t learn. Here is how a large friend of mine learned from experience that harsh words stir up anger. Driving to Penn State, keeping the speed limit, inspection up to date, he was pulled over by a State trooper. The trooper was looking for a car like the one my friend was driving. All he had to do was answer some questions, show his license and registration, and he’d have been on his way, but harsh words stir up anger. My friend greeted the trooper like this: “Whadya pull me over for? I wasn’t breaking the speed limit!” So the trooper said, “All right, buddy, out of the car.” Getting out, he “accidentally” bumped the trooper. That got him, “Okay, up against the car and spread ‘em.” In the end, for resisting a police officer, he got a week in jail.
Here’s a story of a soft word turning away wrath. In 1970 my wife and I lived in Pittsburgh without a car. Then I got a temporary job teaching at Geneva College thirty miles away, meaning I needed a car three days a week, so a friend lent me his car. The first day I drove down the street we walked every day. Unfortunately, it was one-way, right past the police station. The ticket came in the mail, $55, a lot of money in those days, and a big chunk of our budget. So while I was at work, my cute wife, who looked about fourteen, went to the police station to pay the fine. The old officer at the desk looked at her, meekly ready to pay, and remarked, “That’s an awful lot, isn’t it.” “Yes it is,” she said, with just the hint of a quiver in her voice. “Tell you what,” he said. “Let’s just call it fifteen,” and he crossed out the fifty-five and wrote fifteen.
Wrath comes everyone’s way. To turn it away, answer softly. To make it angrier, answer harshly. It’s simple. The trouble is we answer before thinking, with reflexive irritation, or a habit of defending our honor, or desiring to justify ourselves, or determined to dominate. Then we answer in kind and make things worse.
Does a soft word always defuse anger? Sadly, no! David’s gracious words to King Saul several times defused his anger, but only temporarily. When reviled, Jesus did not revile in return, even praying as He was crucified, “Father, forgive them (Luke 23:34).” The crucifixion went ahead.
“A soft word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” does not tell us which to aim at, turning away wrath or stirring it up, but it does tell us that in general to get more anger, answer with anger and to turn away wrath, answer softly. Our choice, over and over again!
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Dr. Bill Edgar, former chair of the Geneva College Board of Trustees, former Geneva College President and longtime pastor in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA)
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Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
Nov 1, 2016
Faithful Doubt: Habakkuk, written by pastor Travis Scott, explores the short prophetic book of Habakkuk, in a practical and meaningful way through the lens of a doubter. Travis approaches the passage of scripture from an honest and humble perspective, recalling difficulties experienced as a husband, father, and pastor.
Dr. J. Ligon Duncan of Reformed Theological Seminary delivered the spring 2021 Commencement address at Geneva College on May 10, 2021. Here is an excerpt of that message, entitled, "Every Good Work," from 2 Timothy 3. This excerpt first appeared in the Summer 2021 edition of Geneva Magazine.
When the Bible teaches one thing and your “instincts,” as it were, disagree, whose wisdom do you trust, your own or God’s? Do we really need to be told not to trust in our own minds? Yes, because we want to trust ourselves, and because in our day putatively wise people constantly tell us that high self-esteem brings success.
When the Bible teaches one thing and your “instincts,” as it were, disagree, whose wisdom do you trust, your own or God’s? Do we really need to be told not to trust in our own minds? Yes, because we want to trust ourselves, and because in our day putatively wise people constantly tell us that high self-esteem brings success.
As busy as college students are, it can be profoundly beneficial for them to seek out and engage in a routine Bible study. Diving deeper into their faith, exploring what the world’s challenges mean to them, and creating a Christian-based path forward can give any college student the direction he or she needs to achieve their best life. Still, it’s not always easy to make that decision—instead of a night with friends or yet another study session for a high-level math class, go to Bible study instead.
Handing our cares and worries over to God gives us peace which keeps us from falling into doubt, as stated in Philippians. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
What should someone with wealth do? Solomon writes, “Pay attention to it and know its condition.” He uses the example of sheep and goats. Wise parents blessed with wealth will teach their children how to work to maintain it. Wise children will accept the burdens of responsibility that go with family wealth, always remembering that riches do not last forever.
The Book of Proverbs has no use for the gullible, viewing them as willful fools. Even when everyone else can see a hateful, deceitful person for what he is, the gullible choose to believe gracious words.
At Easter, a good question to ask is, "How are people saved?" This should be a question that Christians can easily answer, and indeed most can. However, sometimes Christians are less knowledgeable about the doctrine of justification and its important distinctions than perhaps they should be.
How should leaders deal with difficult situations in difficult times? Geneva College’s John Gallo and Jenna Bieber provide a guidebook for leaders. "Lessons from Cain and Abel to Guide Leaders Through Turbulent Times" walks readers through the account of Cain and Abel to teach leaders the importance of justice, mercy, harmony and equality.
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