Today’s Blog: Are You a Provoker?

TODAY’S PROVERB: The terror of a king is like a lion’s growl. Whoever provokes him endangers his life. Proverbs 20:2, TLV

Who would provoke someone who could hurt us — physically or emotionally? Apparently, it happens more than we think. Growing up as a people-pleaser, I could read people pretty well. I could spot if I was annoying them and back down. Some souls struggle with social cues and don’t realize they’re about to traverse into dangerous territories.

Others simply like to control and don’t mind the negative fallout. People like: bullies, abusers, liars, manipulators, gossipers. They are going to push and push until whatever response they’re looking for is achieved.

Are there people in your life like this — social-cue challenged or controllers? Or are we the someone who finds themselves in trouble, a lot? Is there friction and unrest when we’re around others? Have we lost friendships and jobs because we provoked them?

As I worked to overcome that people-pleaser thing, I had to re-learn how to watch for those social cues to not annoy and provoke others. The person who struggled to speak her mind or confront someone had to now learn how use discernment to hold her tongue and use self-control in when to speak. I’ve sure caused a lot of unnecessary problems for myself.

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I wasn’t alone, apparently. Others struggled, too. A few of us now let the other know when we’re pushing the line. A touch on the arm. Clearing our throats. A pointed look. Having the support really helps.

Over time, I’m better at it, face-to-face. However, with the advent of email and texts and social media, I’ve had to learn other skills because I can’t watch for those facial expressions. It’s just too easy to give in to an emotional response, or to not have my hubby read over something before I send it. Perhaps I should envision that lion roaring in front of me before I hit send.

How about you? Do you struggle with provoking others? Are there provokers in your life? How have you navigated these waters?

Taking the time to use self-control — a fruit of the Spirit, by the way (Galatians 5:23) — we can avoid a lot of heartache and cleaning up after ourselves. And that, my friends, is a very good thing.

May we learn to “see” before we speak, my friends.

Proverbs 20:2 Tree of Life Version – TLV, #tlvbible, #tlvproverbs

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