Last Two Chapters

A few months back I started writing a weekly post on the chapters of Words That Hurt, Words That Heal Bible study lessons we were covering on Thursday nights through the summer. (If you missed those posts, you can find them here, here, here, and here.) I ended up missing the last two meetings because we were out of town, but I promised to get those chapters read and posted. Here they are:

Chapter 9 - "Easy Does It" on Gentleness.  Do you realize that the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 includes gentleness? Often that quality is overlooked because we're so focused on the biggies of love, joy, and peace. But gentleness is one of the characteristics that God wants each of His children to have.

Carole Mayhall, the author of the book, states, "I began to study some godly women around me, and I was shocked and delighted to find that some bubbly, outgoing, talkative women had quiet and gentle spirits. Conversely, I knew some women with calm personalities who had rebellious, stubborn hearts.  I had interpreted I Peter 3:3-4 all wrong. It says, 'Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.' A gentle spirit has nothing to do with one's personality. God created us with great diversity in our personalities, but each of us should have a quiet and gentle spirit. We can be loud on the outside and still be hushed on the inside."

Our lesson focused on many verses that spoke of gentleness. Paul told Timothy that an overseer must be "gentle, not quarrelsome" (I Timothy 3:3). As servants of the Lord we are to be "gentle toward all men" (see II Timothy 2:24). "But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children" (I Thessalonians 1:7). Proverbs 15:1: "A gentle answer turns away wrath." Try it the next time someone is angry and upset with you and see how it works.

Folks who are gentle exhibit their gentleness by:

• Voice - tone is soft, not demanding or irritated
• Facial expressions - An angry countenance, tight lips, a dour look--all convey a lack of gentleness.
• Manner - kind, tolerant, thinking of others' feelings before thinking of your own
• Attitude - unbiased, not bigoted or judgmental

We don't have an option to be gentle; it's commanded in scripture. In Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret we learn, "Being gentle is not so much in trying to be gentle, but in looking to the gentle Savior--knowing Him deeply and intimately. Being gentle is gazing into His face until you become more and more like Him."

Chapter 10 - "The Sacrifice of Praise"  What happens when things go wrong (sickness, death, loss of a job, divorce, hurricanes, daily disappointments), and we don't feel like giving God the praise He deserves? Sometimes it takes all of our strength to praise God through tough circumstances. Hebrews 13:15 says, "...let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."

To sum up the last chapter Carole says, "More and more I am persuaded that what pleases the heart of God most are the choices we make that no one sees but God--those everyday moments when God is the only audience; when we offer to Him the sacrifice of praise; when the sweet aroma of our thanksgiving reaches Him. Instead of all the negative, ugly words that come out of our mouth, may the secret daily moments of our heart be filled with praise. If they are, our speech will overflow as a sacrifice upon the altar of a living, loving, God."

Update: I just went over to my friend Paula's blog. Today she's talking about words, too--words of encouragement--words that uplift someone who may be having a tough time. Check her out.

~Deb

Comments

[Paula]

Check YOU out! You really covered this book well and I'm so glad you did the study. Aren't you? Like I said, I keep pulling that book out every once in awhile like a workbook. I will probably never outgrow my need for a little washing out of my mouth. thanks, Deb.