Patience calms a quarrel

Proverbs 15:18

Proverbs are the fortune cookies of the Bible. These quick bites of wisdom have the potential to guide your steps and transform your character if you are willing to take them to heart.

When it comes to drama, there are primarily two types of people. There are people who thrive on drama and people who try to stay clear of it. Whichever type of person you are, Proverbs provides a wisdom character key to defuse the drama in our lives.

A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,

but the one who is patient calms a quarrel (Proverbs 15:18).

If you are a person who thrives on drama, you may be known to stir up conflict. Beware: if you stir up conflict, hot-tempers may flare! If you are a person who avoids conflict, you are not exempt from applying this wisdom character key to your life. A patient person may not stir up the conflict, but a patient person needs to continue to exercise patience in order to calm the quarrel. It is easy for the heat from a hot-tempered person to set a patient person’s temper ablaze.

Patience requires us to take a step away from the conflict. It requires us to problem solve and analyze all aspects of a situation before reacting to the situation. When we choose to exercise patience, we are choosing to look at another person’s point of view and seek to find common ground. When we choose to exercise patience, we welcome an opportunity to grow and collaborate with others. Patience allows us to develop creative solutions as a team. Patience calms a quarrel.

When you are faced with the next conflict in your life step back and use this wisdom character key to calm the quarrel. Over time, patience may transform your character.

For additional Proverbs regarding exercising patience in conflict, check out Proverbs 14:3 and 15:1.