Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Philippians 4:5 NIV
Gentleness
Staff at a Winnipeg personal care home are using people skills rather than medication to diffuse outbursts. Back in 2019, more than 200 staff at Actionmarguerite were trained in a new Canadian method called the ‘gentle persuasive approach’ to help residents with advanced dementia when they are upset. According to a media release, it helps staff better react to advanced dementia patients who, as a result of their condition, are prone to verbal or physical outbursts. The gentle persuasive approach training helps calm residents down without restraints or sedation
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We live in a violent world. The mass shootings in the US may make headlines, but the entire world is filled with violence. I know more than a few people who regularly fast from the news because they find it too challenging. Man’s inhumanity to man is almost too much to take in. Followers of Jesus are called to live in contrast to such violence. The apostle Paul says this in Philippians 4:5: “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. When He is filling our lives, and we are maturing in Jesus, we will find ourselves becoming gentler, more sensitive to others, even to those who are difficult to respond kindly to. There is no place in the life of a follower of Jesus for angry outbursts and violence. Over and over the Bible calls Jesus’ people to consistently respond in love, even to those who have mistreated us. In your own strength, this is impossible. Invite the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in your life, including gentleness, and you will soon find that the words you speak, and the way you respond, are becoming gentler.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley