“Gentleness” Philippians 4:5 “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Gentle words. Gentle touch. Gentle actions. We seem to have misplaced our responsibility and call to be gentle. Proverbs 15:1 says “A gentle word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” We should consider a gentler tone, a gentler spirit, a gentler attitude too. I remember when my children were little, always saying to them, “Be gentle, be gentle”. Not just because things and people are precious and fragile, but because we are too harsh with words and actions, with looks and with motions. My mom took an additional tact with me as a boy. She in a very gentle tone often told me not to be “rammy”, meaning rough or harsh with words or actions. We need to be softer, more caring. There is a time to be firm or righteously angry, just not every time you open your mouth or touch something. We should think more gently, therefore speak and act on our thoughts appropriately. After all, the Lord is near. Do we really want to have Him hear us rip things apart, physically or verbally? Choose your words and actions wisely. People are especially precious. Treat them so. Where did the notion of “Speaking the truth in love go?” Buried in our Bibles with so much other Christlikeness. Food for thought. Chew slowly, I know I need to too. Gently please, Pastor Fred