Nip it! Nip it in the bud!

One of my all-time favorite television programs is The Andy Griffith Show. What a delightful cast of characters brought together in an ideal setting and working from wonderfully written scripts! In my book there is nothing on TV today that even remotely rivals the quality of this program from the 1960's.

Of all the sensational characters on the program, my favorite has to be Barney Fife. Don Knotts' performances in that role were such classics. There is so much about Barney that causes me to laugh even as a moment in the series comes to mind. One of the things Barney is best remembered for is the hilariously high-pitched response he would give when he had heard enough from Otis or Barney or Andy: "Nip it! Nip it in the bud!"

Barney's words come to mind when I read Proverbs 15:1 -- "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Whenever Andy or one of the others needled Barney or argued with him, it drew the wrath of this high-strung little man. It's also something I've observed in many ways other than a television program. Many times I have seen a situation escalate into a pretty ugly scene because the opposing parties responded harshly to something said or done.

This is a lesson I have tried for years to teach my older son. Andy is one who doesn't like for anyone to get in his face, and those who are foolish enough to challenge this 6'5" hulk of a man get perilously close to a very unpleasant experience. I try to convince him that responding in kind to a harsh word or action is not only a good way to find yourself in trouble, it simply isn't the way a Christian ought to deal with people. No, we aren't to be people's "punching bags" physically or verbally. But, the wisdom of this proverb is that a kind and gentle response to a hostile word or act will usually calm a situation and allow for the problem to be solved rather than blown out of proportion. No one ever really wins a fight. The winner is the one who can resolve an issue and make everyone else "feel" like a winner!

I know that such a reaction isn't very natural. That's true of so many things about the Christian life -- they seem unnatural. This is because our sinful nature wants to act and react sinfully, but the indwelling Holy Spirit strengthens us for the task of living according to the unnatural, yet fulfilling and abundant life God created us to live. Next time you encounter a hostile person remember old Barney Fife, and try to nip the hostilities in the bud!