“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” James 3:17
“To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.” Titus 3:2
GENTLE – having or showing a mild, kind, or tender temperament or character.
I saw a description today that said kindness was loaning someone your strength instead of reminding them of their weakness.
As we look at this from the standpoint of parents, we remember how easy it was to be gentle with our new-born baby. They were fully dependent on us to look after them and we didn’t need a lot of wisdom to know how to meet their needs. But as they grow older, sometimes we find our ideas clashing with theirs. We want to enforce our values and rules on them. Maybe this is when we go to the Lord for wisdom, and He gently reminds us of how patient and loving He is with us when we want to go our own way and not obey the rules He has given. And He gives us the wisdom to gently guide and lead that child in the right way, without making them feel weak and useless.
The same thing is true in our relationships with others around us. We can be sure in whatever situation we are asking the Lord to give us wisdom, He will never want us to be harsh and over-bearing with those we are dealing with. We must listen to His voice and deal gently and kindly with others.
Tomorrow’s devotion will deal with getting along with people.
Prayer: Lord, we are so thankful for the gentle way you deal with us when we go astray. Help us to always rely on your wisdom and to be gentle with those around us.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
2 Comments
love this, thank you!
Thanks, Laura, I am glad you enjoyed it. I enjoyed writing this series.