A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1

Roosters, like many males in the different species, were created to protect the female and her offspring. That’s what they live for, and sometimes dies for.

Because of the winter’s confinement, Emory’s two young roosters hardly knew me. But on a rare sunny day I ventured outside to sit with him. Before I even sat down, both roosters came running to check things out. But instead of a friendly greeting, I faced them head-on and began chastising them for trying to flog our seven year old grandson, Landon, a few days before.

About halfway in jest, I scolded them, “Don’t come over here and try to jump on me! I’m bigger than you are.”  They stopped and stared,then one of them gave that warning sound they give when danger is near. But they didn’t move. “Come on!” I challenged. “I dare you!” They still didn’t move, just repeated the warning signal.

I ignored the warning and moved to get a nearby chair. As soon as my back was turned, something hit me in my legs. One of the little rascals had flogged me. The feathers around his neck stood straight out. “Git!” I cried, but he didn’t stop. So my only defense was to boot him away. But he was a die hard little guy and he kept coming back. I booted him again and again, until finally he gave up and ran away. I had no sooner turned back to find the chair when the other one hit me. It was a repeat of the first battle.

By then Emory was laughing so hard he almost fell out of his chair.

Later, I thought about the whole scenario. If I had approached the roosters with a little feed in my hand and a kind word, they would have behaved totally different. Perhaps been my friends for life.

It’s just like people. We approach someone, sometimes for the first time, with the wrong spirit, and just like the roosters, they will immediately raise their defense mechanisms. The next thing we know we are in a battle. After that, we don’t like them and they certainly don’t like us. Actions and words spoken can never be erased. They are forever.

I doubt those roosters will ever be my friends. So, Beloved, whether it be roosters or people it’s still true: a soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20