“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) As I read this verse posted from Biblegateway.com, it instantly prompted the mental imagery of Julie Andrews in her role as Mary Poppins singing the song “A Spoonful of Sugar.” In the scene, Mary Poppins is an English nanny who is trying to get the children to clean their room – which of course they do not want to do. She encourages the children to have fun with the task and convinces them that the drudgery of cleaning will seem more like a game if you have fun with it. She sings the song and the children pick up on the upbeat tempo and start singing the words themselves as they work through the task. Now making light work of something difficult by having a positive attitude is not exactly in the same context as today’s verse. Yet, the general idea of having the right attitude for the right occasion still applies. In today’s proverb we see that the wisdom of “reading the situation” is key to a successful outcome. And sure, everyone probably needs a swift kick in the rear every now and then to keep on track. But the question is should that “kick” be the go-to or first response we use. And to that question, Solomon (the author of this proverb) makes an argument against it. Saying that “harsh words” can stir up anger. I believe the real heart issue is this, when holding others accountable, or communicating in general, what is your purpose? It should be to stimulate change or just transfer information. Either way, the proverb warns that a wrong and hurtful tone will also generate the wrong response. So today, let us all think about our words and responses that we use. Remembering that a “spoonful of sugar” can go a long way.