Gentleness
Written by Diane Hakes
A gentle answer deflects anger, but a harsh words make tempers flare. Proverbs 15:1 NLT
Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses. Proverbs 25:15 MSG
Recently, a friend of mine introduced me to receiving a Word for the year, given in the form of a star. The words are actually fruits of the spirit...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control. The words are written out on stars and the person chooses the star from the batch, not knowing which one they might receive. It is like a gift from God spoken over you for the year. My star said Gentleness. As I reflected on my word for 2019, I realized that deeply rooted in my character is a spirit of gentleness. I am soft-spoken, but speak the truth. As part of my journey to find my path in this season of life, I took some assessments. In one of the assessments it said that because I am so gentle, people are taken back when I do speak up with strong conviction. They don't expect it from me. I regret that, at times, I have gotten laser-focused on something, another aspect of my personality I discovered, and failed to see the big picture of what God was doing. My word on my star was a "gentle" reminder to leave the fighting to God, speak truth in love when I must, but always with gentleness. I've learned through experience, and age, unfortunately, I have plenty of that, to speak up when it is important to do so. I've held back on my opinions in my younger years, but now, if I'm in a position where God has placed me, then speaking up with a gentle, but loving spirit, is part of my calling. It is what I'm expected to do. It's how I do it that matters. So, in 2019 and beyond, I wish to impact lives through gentle answers, patient persistence in what matters most and use gentle speech in all I do. Gentleness is a gift that I am happy to receive and give back again and again.
