“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” Psalm 103:8
When we think of the word gracious in connection with Jesus, we remember His divine grace towards us. He knows our faults and our failures, and yet His grace extends freely to us. Covered by His blood and protected by His Spirit, we are secure in our relationship with Him.
Cambridge Dictionary describes gracious as “behaving in a pleasant, polite, calm way: a gracious smile, gracious enough.”
When Jesus was here on earth, He encountered people from different circumstances, but He met each of them with grace and kindness. So how can we exemplify a gracious spirit as we endeavour to follow Jesus’ example? Perhaps one of the best ways is in the words we speak. Consider the following scriptures regarding this.
- Ecclesiastes 10:12 “The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.”
- Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
- I Timothy 4:12 “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
- Matthew 18:6 “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
- James 3:2“For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”
In all our relationships, whether it be with family, friends, or others that we are in contact with, it is good practice to think before we speak. Because we are human, we tend to speak our minds without thinking about how our words affect others. Our daily prayer should be for the Holy Spirit to guide every word we speak.
Thought for Today: “Lord help me today to make sure my mind is in gear before I engage my mouth.”
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
