AMERICUS — Feelings are fragile; please handle them with care

We understand about eggs. If we’re shopping, we check to insure they aren’t broken before we buy. We bag them carefully and put them on top so they don’t get crushed. Even if you care nothing about the egg, you handle it carefully from a sense of self-preservation. If you break it, you have a mess to clean up.

If only we would remember that it’s like that with people, too. If we hurt someone’s feelings, there will be a mess, and sometimes it’s hard to clean up. Better to handle with care to begin with.

And, that’s not just my personal opinion. It’s actually a repeated Biblical mandate that followers of Jesus should treat others with gentleness. I think those outside church might be surprised to hear that.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience,” Paul instructed in Colossians 3: 12.

Gentleness should be an obvious part of our emotional style. “Let your gentleness be evident to all,” Paul insists (Philippians 4: 5). Do people see it on you? Would they be quick to say, “Oh, him? He’s that guy who is always gentle.”

Gentleness is part of the evidence of faith in our lives. It’s listed among the fruit of God’s Spirit in Galatians 5: 23. Is it growing in your life?

Gentleness is a required trait of one who wants to lead in the church. He must be “not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome” (1 Timothy 3: 3). Is that characteristic of the church leaders you know?

Preachers should “pursue ... gentleness” (1 Timothy 6 :11).  “Those who oppose him he must gently instruct” (2 Timothy 2: 25). Does that describe all the preachers you know?

When someone is wrong, gentleness must be how we respond. “If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently” (Galatians 6: 1). Is that how you typically see conflict handled?

Somehow, in an age of rancorous ranting about how right we are, it seems to me that Christians may have forgotten to wrap ourselves in gentleness. Perhaps those not persuaded by our claims of correctness are simply distracted by our clashing clothes. God’s message includes gentleness. If the messenger isn’t wearing gentleness, the resulting mismatched wardrobe won’t be very attractive.

Feelings, like eggs, are so easily broken. Let’s handle them gently.



Keith Wishum is minister, Williams Road Church of Christ, Americus.