April 29th, 2021: "Gentleness"

 


Maybe it is time for us to learn how to be more gentle. It doesn't matter what we watch and to whom we listen to, there seem to be so many angry people around. We cannot watch TV news without hearing someone yelling and screaming. Hysterical behavior is a welcoming display on National TV.


Gentleness brings about meaningful connection and communication when harshness builds walls. Gentleness breaks them down. Gentleness opens doors for us to go deeper in our relationship with one another. Gentleness is not a display of weakness but strength. It doesn't repay evil with evil.


Titus 3: 2 says: "To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people."


We don't have many examples of this verse these days. We are so quick to speak evil of one another. The whole process of dealing with Covid-19 is a significant case study for that. Somehow communication and willingness to work with one another are not there. We witnessed conflicts and distrust right at the beginning. In some situations, it was chaotic. 


James 3: 17 helps me to be more committed to gentleness. 


"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."


We need to ask for more wisdom. Our hearts need to be pure and peaceful. Our thoughts of others have to be gentle and full of reasoning, not wrath. Our actions need to be more merciful and fruitful. Our connection with one another has to be free from bias and sincere. All of this won't happen without gentleness.

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