Gentle and Quiet Answers

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1 Peter 3:15,16

Gentleness again! What can we learn from this? God loves the gentle, kind, quiet answers not the hate filled, judgement based retaliation.

Loving quiet and gentle lives speak to our neighbours and those we seek to touch with the gospel. Yesterday, on Facebook I was confronted by an angry, emotional retaliation to criticism a Christian businesspman in our community had received. To me it came out of left field, I did not know why he did what he did, he did not explain, for the benefit of the unenlightened. He had assumed that all in his world knew where he was coming from, we didn't.

We retaliate when we are attacked and frustrated by the actions of others. God wants to take us beyond frustration to peace. Now, there is a challenge. However, He wants all men to live in peace, especially those of the kingdom of God.

Peace is what the world longs for and peace is what they want us to provide. Our challenge is to walk in it and not be tipped out into the acid that wishes to engulf us. Peace is touted on Christmas cards but the only true source of peace is Christ and it lives in His people, well, it should. We are the emissaries of peace. If we are living in frustration, we are in the wrong spirit.

Forgive us Lord for walking in our own ways, lead us in the ways of peace. Amen!

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