True confession time. Lately I have become discouraged by how Christians interact with one another on social media—Twitter, Facebook, etc.
The Bible says:
The world will know we are Christians by our love for one another (John 13:25).
Christians on social media seem to think the Bible says:
The world will know we are Christians by how snarky, judgmental, arrogant, proud, Pharisaical, and critical we are on social media.
So, I’ve been pondering the Bible’s teaching on gentleness.
What if “Christian Twitter” and “Christian Facebook” followed these biblical passages on gentleness in our hearts and in our conversation?
16 Passages on Gentleness of Heart & Tongue
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3).
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” (Ephesians 4:31).
“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
“Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness” (Hebrews 5:1-2).
“By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you” (2 Corinthians 10:1).
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5).
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12).
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5-6).
“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24).
“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister” (Romans 14:13).
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone” (Titus 3:1-2).
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These passages on gentleness were “off the top of my head.” What additional passages on gentleness of heart and gentleness in communication would you add to this list?
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