MAKE YOUR WORDS GENTLE

” GENTLE WORDS ARE A TREE OF LIFE; A DECEITFUL TONGUE CRUSHES THE SPIRIT.” PROVERBS 15:4

I have had to learn, and I am continuing to learn how to approach all with a gentle spirit. I have now been retired for four years and I am still trying to shed the bad habits I obtained from my many years of working in the world. I must admit that a stand-offish attitude and an intimidating personality were a couple of those traits. There were many times in my profession when I felt I had to be intimidating in order to get what I needed from others. This trait also followed me home and I am sure made it very uneasy on my family. I was vastly wrong in how I was conducting myself! If I had been listening to the Lord, I would have known that instead of being threatening to others I should have been more sociable and using kinder words. However, I became entangled in the world and did things the world’s way instead of the way the Lord wanted me to. Thank God for his kindness, forgiveness and grace. We all learn from experience. I continue to pray to the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit for his help and for better or worse I am still a work in progress. However, the Lord has made it very clear that he will help me to be truthful and yet kind at the same time. It is not easy, but nothing is. We must be careful as Christians. When I was working in the world, I wasn’t always representing Christ in the way I should have been. If you are still working in today’s world, I ask that you take a step back and analyze how you are representing the Lord in your job and at home. Take the time to talk with him and ask that he help guide you through each day. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!