Choose Life!

When I asked the Lord what to write today, I heard the words, "A soft answer turns away wrath." I was thinking about that and thinking about how we so often talk angrily to those we love. I am so guilty of that! But if we will just choose our words carefully we can avoid so much strife. Sometimes our loved ones fail us. They don't do what we expect them to and we get upset because we didn't get our way. So we lash out with angry words. And then we have strife. Everybody is unhappy and nobody wins. Is getting our way really worth all that? Maybe giving up what we wanted to happen really is worth the peace that it will bring.
We have to choose to enjoy our loved ones and treasure them. We have to choose to love them and to give them the benefit of the doubt. The people God has given us really are our greatest blessings. Are we going to enjoy them and enjoy life or are we going to manipulate them? That is kind of a harsh word but it is what God is teaching me. For example, if I wanted my husband to mow the grass and I asked him and asked him. Time and time again he still doesn't mow the grass. I could lash out in angry words and maybe even get my way. But in the process, I've destroyed a little piece of our relationship. I've taken away a little of his "free will". You see, it is so much better, to ask once and then let it go. Or maybe, not to ask at all. Then when he does it, it is so much sweeter, so much more enjoyable. And if he doesn't the natural consequences will speak for themselves. And if he doesn't I will forgive him, I will enjoy him, and I will choose to love him anyway because my love is unconditional. We can just wear ourselves out trying to make things happen. In the big picture, getting the lawn mowed really isn't all that important. But Peace reigning in our home Is! This can be applied to all of our relationships in life.
It says in Duet. 30:19 that God has set before us life and death, blessings and cursing, CHOOSE LIFE! God even gives us the answer ahead of time! Choose Life! God's words are life, if we want to have and enjoy our lives we must follow them.
So let's choose to enjoy our loved ones today, let's set them free! Let's choose life and choose "a soft answer".