Joseph Mekael Page

Proverbs Daily Reflection – January 15, 2025

A heartwarming scene of a mother speaking kindly to her joyful child, with both smiling and radiating happiness. The background is a cozy living room, symbolizing love, connection, and peace.

The Power of a Soft Answer and the Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Foundational Scripture:
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”
– Proverbs 15:1 (KJV)

This verse provides a foundation for understanding the power of our words. A soft, gentle answer can calm storms. It can heal wounds and build bridges. In contrast, harsh words can escalate conflict and cause lasting pain. However, speaking softly is not always easy—it requires patience, humility, and spiritual growth.

Personal Reflection:
Growing up, I experienced the pain of harsh words and yelling in my home. My father’s home was more peaceful. However, my mother’s home was filled with constant yelling. This left a deep mark on me. As I became a parent, I repeated those patterns in my parenting. My daughter felt the burden of it. Now, at 24 years old, she says, “Dad, stop yelling at me, you’re triggering me.” Her words remind me of the unintended harm I caused and the mental health struggles it created for her.

I’ve had to face the reality of how my words shaped our relationship. It’s painful, but it’s also an opportunity to seek God’s mercy, healing, and restoration. I pray daily that the Lord will help me grow in humility. I seek meekness and calmness. I also ask that He delivers my daughter from the burdens caused by my past mistakes.

This experience highlights why walking in the Fruits of the Holy Spirit is important. They provide a roadmap for healing. They also guide spiritual maturity.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit

As written in Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV):
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Let us examine each fruit and its relevance to our lives:

  1. Love: Unconditional care that seeks to build others up, even when it’s challenging.
  2. Joy: Choosing contentment in the Lord, which can uplift others.
  3. Peace: Cultivating harmony in our homes and relationships, reflecting God’s presence.
  4. Longsuffering (Patience): Bearing frustrations with grace and waiting on the Lord’s timing.
  5. Gentleness: Speaking with kindness and tenderness, even when provoked.
  6. Goodness: Living with integrity and setting an example of moral excellence.
  7. Faith: Trusting God to work in and through us, even when we feel weak.
  8. Meekness: Embracing humility and allowing God’s will to guide our actions.
  9. Temperance (Self-Control): Exercising discipline over our words, emotions, and reactions.

Applying the Teaching to Our Lives

  • Breaking Generational Patterns: If you’ve experienced harsh words in your past, reflect on them. Ask the Lord to help you break that cycle for the next generation.
  • Parenting with Grace: Reflect God’s love and gentleness in your interactions with your children. It’s never too late to apologize, heal, and rebuild relationships.
  • Relying on the Holy Spirit: These fruits are not natural—they are supernatural. Ask the Holy Spirit to cultivate them in your life daily.

Encouragement and Hope

It’s never too late to change. The same God who transforms hearts and restores relationships can work in your life and your family’s life. He is faithful to complete the good work He has begun in us (Philippians 1:6). Let us commit ourselves to reflect His character by bearing the Fruits of the Spirit in all we do.

Prayer:

Lord, we come before You, seeking Your grace and mercy. Teach us to speak with love and gentleness, even in moments of frustration. Help us to stop the cycles of pain caused by harsh words. Replace them with words that bring life, healing, and peace. Cultivate the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in us, so we may reflect Your character in all our relationships. Lord, I lift up my daughter and all who are carrying wounds from the past. Bring Your healing, restoration, and deliverance into their lives. We thank You for Your faithfulness and trust You to transform us day by day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Would you like to share your own story about how God is working in your life? Let’s encourage one another in the journey of faith and healing.

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