Something we don’t often think about is how we treat others. On the other hand, we think rather a lot about how others treat us. That has to tell you something, right there. So, how do you treat others?
I don’t know how you get to work, but right around the world countless millions hop into their cars or onto a bus or train every morning and every afternoon – the big commute.
And whether you’re fighting traffic or squeezing into crammed public transport, there’s probably one word you simply wouldn’t use to describe that commute … gentle. It’s anything but. Try brutal, frustrating, infuriating, draining… anything BUT gentle!
And even in places where we expect to find gentleness, it’s so often missing; in aged care facilities, hospitals, schools, even in homes.
concept in this chaotic world, wouldn’t you agree? I mean, how many gentle people do you run into at work? And yet, ask anyone how they’d like to be treated – Would you like to be treated with gentleness? – and the answer’s obvious!
Proverbs 15:1 This is one of the most quoted proverbs from the Bible :A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. It spells out exactly how we should speak to others.
Gentleness is almost a lost!
I’m not naturally a gentle person. It’s something I’ve had to learn; something that I’m still learning. The Apostle Paul, a couple of thousand years ago, hit the nail on the head when he wrote this from his prison cell on death row:
“Let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near.”
Philippians 4:5 TPT
Tomorrow morning, when you get ready for the day ahead – the commute, your busy, pressured day, doing whatever it is that you do – how much will gentleness and kindness be on your mind?
Just think of the incredible power to touch someone, to brighten someone’s day – even to save their life – with gentleness and kindness.
Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind.
The journey to growth. 