There were protests in over 2,000 cities yesterday. I never really figured out exactly what they were for or against, or where I stood. I didn’t work that hard at it. I’ve seen many protests going back to the Vietnam era—well, I was pretty young then, so maybe I only saw some of them in movies over the years. Regardless, I’m sure they can serve a purpose; I mean, who isn’t in favor of the First Amendment? Over the years, I’ve become a believer in the Solomon method of influence: a gentle word. To effect change in the areas that really matter—those with eternal impact—winning hearts and minds seems a more powerful way to accomplish it. Others yelling and holding signs let you know what they think and how strongly they feel about it, but my experience is that it can harden hearts more than win them over. The second half of this verse reminds us that speaking harshly makes people angry. Unless that’s the goal, it doesn’t seem very productive. The dictionary defines “harsh” as “unpleasantly rough or jarring to the senses; cruel or severe.” There is nothing even remotely Christlike in that definition. Even as parents or bosses, we want our children and employees to listen to correction or instruction—to be positively persuaded. Today, speak kindly and with gentleness. #BeTheEdge
“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 NIV
