"But let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." 1 Peter 3:4
What does it mean to be gentle? There are different types of gentleness. There is gentleness of speech, and there is gentleness of actions. There is one who gently comforts when someone is sad, and one who gently soothes when someone is angry.
Let us take a moment to look up the word gentle. The Encarta Dictionary describes it as "having a mild and kind nature or manner" and "having a gracious and honorable manner".
It is a very disagreeable thing to see someone who is not gentle. You can almost tell by the tone of their voice that they are harsh or rowdy. For example (I like examples) let's say a little boy is crying. A very obnoxious girl comes up to him and says in a rough voice, "Stop crying you crybaby! Do you know how obnoxious that is?!?" Another girl would come up to him a moment later and tenderly say, "It's all right. You're going to be okay. Will you tell me why you're crying?" You see, the behavior of the first is hostile and unfavorable. On the other hand, the second is gentle and kind.
A gentle voice is a wonderful quality in a girl. In Proverbs 15:1 it says "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Here is a quote from the book Beautiful Girlhood:
"A girl is known by her words. Generally the first impression she makes upon strangers is made by her speech. Some remark falls upon their ears, and they form an opinion of the speaker founded upon the nature of that remark. If she is heard speaking considerately and sympathetically, they think of her as kind and agreeable; but if she is loud and boisterous in her speech, or if her remark is unkind and spiteful, they form the opposite opinion…Every girl should form the habit of speaking in a gentle tone. While she is young the vocal organs can be trained to give out soft tones. Who is it who does not admire a soft and tender tone in a woman's voice? I have always felt sorry for older women who have from childhood spoken in a loud or harsh tone of voice, for it is practically impossible for them to do otherwise now. But girls can have gentle voices if they will."
Other scriptures to read and consider would be Galatians 5:23, Ephesians 4:2, Philippians 4:5, Colossians 3:12, 1 Timothy 6:11, and Titus 3:2.
Stay tuned for the upcoming article on modesty.
Sincerely,
Miss S.
Wow, thank you so much for this post. I just discovered your blog, and your words on a gentle and quiet spirit were what I needed to hear today.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, you have wonderful taste in movies. :)
God bless