Fascinating word. Provoke is one of those words that we can see a visible reaction to the cause, stimuli. You do realize that it has as many positive attributes as it does negative… yes? According to Webster:
“to call forth (a feeling, an action, etc.) : EVOKE; provoke laughter; to stir up purposely; provoke a fight; to provide the needed stimulus for will provoke a lot of discussion; to incite to anger”
It’s the ‘stir up’ and ‘provide the needed stimulus’ that can be the positive. What I have always been a bit amused and amazed about is that the same stimuli can evoke a negative reaction in one person and a positive impetus for another. Then again, it probably relates to our own personal philosophies and experiences; and how we reflect these in our responses. All words, in my world of words, have both the potential for positive as well as negative reactions.
The King James Version of the Bible defines provoke as:
“PROVO’KE, v.t. L.provoco, to call forth; pro and voco, to call.
*To call into action; to arouse; to excite; as, to provoke anger or wrath by offensive words or by injury; to provoke war;
*To make angry; to offend; to incense; to enrage.
*To excite; to stimulate; to increase.
*To challenge.
*To move; to incite; to stir up; to induce by motives.
For me, it is the ‘challenge’ point that typically trips my trigger. Challenges, in my world of definitions is always a positive because it always leads somewhere – confirming or refining what you believe/know.
“and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage [provoke] one another to love and to do good deeds,” (Hebrews 10:24, AMP)
Scripture notes over 64 verses that speak to provocation… mostly what man has done to God, thus causing His wrath. But there are many ways to consider ‘provoke’ and what our behavior evokes. We don’t always need to take the low road. We can provoke to good, to positive, to meaningful and helpful. Bottom line is that it is our decision to react to a stimuli in a negative manner, remembering that there are these times that need to occur. But we can also choose to look at the cause to see if there are redeemable parts and focus on that.
