When Gentleness Seems Tough

Let’s be real. Living a life of gentleness is not natural.

And it’s going to be tough sometimes. So, what do we do when gentleness seems tough? 

It’s amazing how certain people can say and do things that can make us so angry, hurt, or offended. It can almost come out of nowhere sometimes. And when it comes from someone we trust or who is close to us, it can really sting.

So, you’ve just had an incident, and you know you need to respond in gentleness but you’re boiling over. What do you do? 

The safest thing you can do? Stay silent.

There’s a saying that goes, “Speech is silver, but silence is golden.” The Bible says the same—again and again. (See today’s reading.)

So, when you’re getting into the flow of showing that fruit of gentleness, practice staying silent first. It may take an hour; it may take a week, but resist the temptation to respond in anger. Give yourself a chance to get with the Lord in prayer and in His Word. Fast if you need to. Ask Him to help you put on a cloak of gentleness in your life.

It may not seem like it’s working at first, but if you keep pressing in and keep working at it, all of a sudden, one day, you’ll recognize gentleness coming out of you. You may even want to celebrate because you did it!

We always knew you could.

Did you enjoy the Walking in Faithfulness: The Fruit of the Spirit devotions? If so, you might like Gloria Copeland’s newest book, Walking in the Fruit of the Spirit, that goes even deeper. Download a sample chapter HERE.