Gentleness
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In
meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will
give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out
of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
2 Tim 2:24-26 (KJV)
Gentleness. Have you ever
noticed how a gentle tongue can break someone’s spirit? A little elderly woman
can snap the self-confidence of a prideful gang-member like that with a gentle
word. The truth is that gentle words can pierce to the heart. When someone is
kind to you even though you don’t deserve it you’re seeing gentleness in
action.
Are you gentle? The Lord’s
servant is to be gentle unto all men. That doesn’t mean that He does not stand
for truth, but he is to be gentle. I have to admit that I have not practiced
gentleness enough. In ministry, it has been rather easy for me to be gentle
because I am “hyper-aware” of the effects my words may have. At home, yes
you’ve probably know what I mean, there have been times I’ve been quite the
opposite with family members. Lord,
forgive me. Give me strength to change and to hear and apply the Holy Spirit’s
direction. I don’t want to hurt your heart, Lord, nor be kept in a stronghold
of opinionatedness. O help me, Lord!
