Day 12: Refrain from Harshness, Embrace Gentleness

Good Morning My Friends! Today is going to be a great day for us. We get to be gentle!

Intentional with Gentleness, Not Harshness

With spring just around the corner, I’m already longing for the first day of real warmth and sunshine and the smell of flowers. I’m looking forward to my first walk outside where I can soak in God’s beautiful creation as He springs forth the earth to produce amazing refreshment after months of cold winter. I’m yearning for the first spring gentle breeze to touch my face because let’s face it for those of us who live in the heart of winter with freezing temperatures and snow and ice, that first true spring day is soothing to our souls.

So it is with being gentle rather than being harsh.

Today, God wants us to embrace gentleness and refrain from harshness. Here’s why:

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs15:1, NIV).

To be gentle means to be not violent.

Did you know that to be harsh means to be cruel, unkind, violent, severe, strict, critical, callous, nasty, and bullish?

As I was thinking this morning about the spring breeze I’m looking forward to, I realized that’s what God wants us to be like, a gentle breeze as opposed to a hurricane wind. One refreshes and soothes, the other damages.

I did a very quick search on the word violent in the Bible this morning and here are some analogies that may help us understand what being harsh to someone is like:

• blowing of a violent wind
• violent earthquake
• violent battering from the storm

Yikes! That’s pretty strong, isn’t it?

God doesn’t want us to be like that. In fact, He tells to not be and don’t desire to be like cruel people or follow their example:

“Don’t be jealous of cruel people or follow their example” (Proverbs 3:2, CEV).

To put in language that may help even more, check out Petersen’s interpretation:

“Don’t walk around with a chip on your shoulder, always spoiling for a fight. Don’t try to be like those who shoulder their way through life. Why be a bully? “Why not?” you say. Because God can’t stand twisted souls. It’s the straightforward who get his respect” (Proverbs 3:2, MSG).

I’m convinced we don’t even realize how harsh our words are sometimes. And it’s not just our words, it’s our tone. Those quick, snapping remarks or instructions. We can be curt and rude and disrespectful in our answers and directions to people.

God wants us to learn from Him and be like Him:

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29, NIV).

He is gentle and provides rest for our souls. He wants us to be completely gentle, supporting others with love and kindness.

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2, NIV).

We are not selective in who we are gentle with.

“slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone” (Titus 3:2, NIV).

God desires for us to be gentle to everyone. I believe no matter what they do to us, we are to be respond with gentleness.

“Let your gentleness be evident to all” (Philippians 4:5).

This means we are to be tender, meek, kind, and soothing.

Gentleness produces calmness in others whereas harshness produces anger.

God wants us to refresh and sooth others, not bully them.

We’re supposed to pursue gentleness (1Timothy 6:11) and clothe ourselves in gentleness (Colossians 3:12, NIV).

Practical Application

Today, rather than reacting with harshness, intentionally choose to be tender in your tone and your words. Think soothing. Think calm. Think refreshing. Think, like a gentle spring breeze.

Do all that thinking before you talk.

You’ll be much more likely to be kind and not cruel.

Just for Today

Refrain from Harshness. Embrace Gentleness!