Listen

Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near.

Philippians 4:4-5

Think

My dog, Cliffe, is the cutest and friendliest border-collie mix you’ll ever meet. Whenever he gets a treat, his excitement is evident and hilarious. As we extend a treat towards him, we say “Gentle… gentle… gentle…” to remind him to contain himself a little bit (or else he may unintentionally bite my hand off in his excitement over the milk bone).

I often forget that “gentleness” is one of the fruits of the spirit. The way we speak to one another is an overflow, or the fruit, of our inward Spirit as a Christian. It’s not just about being surface-level polite and cordial; being gentle in how we speak to others shows that Christ has deeply impacted our hearts and how we seek to be in relationships with others. Has your love of Christ impacted the way you speak to others?

Molly Shoulta Tucker

Pray

Holy God, thank you for continuing to change my heart to become more like you.

With my words, my tone, and my intention, bring me into the mindset of Christ.

Let me see others and speak to others as you would see them and speak to them.

Amen.

Go

Praise the Lord for grace and favor
to all people in distress;
praise God, still the same as ever,
slow to chide, and swift to bless.

Henry Lyte in “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven,” 1834