"You Can Call Me Flower If You Want To" ~

Posted by Unknown | Labels: Devotions

Remember Flower from Bambi?

No matter what we call him~ he still did not smell good because he was a skunk.

1 Peter 3:4

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great

price.

Today my devotion is about being humble and gentle. Being patient with each others and making allowances for each other's faults because of your love.

I want to be gentle but doggone it I am just not ~ but I do want to be.

Can you identify with me? Many of us desire to be gentle and humble but our inner beast sometimes gets in the way. Gentleness is the most precious fruit in the basket of the fruits of the Spirit. I mean am I the only one that marvels at Michelle Duggar and her soft ~ sweet voice? The kind of woman that does not look beautiful by the world's standards but just oozes with a lingering fragrance of beauty when they leave the room. You know the kind of people who leave us basking in their inner beauty.

Sometimes life for some of us has hardened us up around the edges which has helped us survive our lot in life but it does not smell so pretty. I feel like flower~ "You can call me gentle if you want to." But no matter how hard I try my "pull up your big girl panties attitude" keeps me from smelling so sweet.

So I go back to my Father God and ask for some help every time I blow it. It is much better than it used to be. At times when I smell more like sour grapes than a luscious ripe strawberry~ I have to ask God to tenderize my heart. I remember my Grandma getting out that metal meat tenderizer and pounding meat. That is pretty much how I feel at times as God tries to teach me to give up my un-gentle ways to be more tender.

Our Father~ God gives us a few helps to equip ourselves~

* I am responsible for what comes out of my mouth~ even if my hot buttons are pushed.

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

* I am to be tender and empathize with others. Jesus not only cared when others were hurting~ he cried with them. A cold heart is only protecting ourselves but it smells bad. Jesus chose to enter into Mary and Martha's pain. It is so very difficult to look beyond bad behavior and gently respond to raw hidden pain in others but that is what Jesus expects from us. Empathy shows a direct channel with the Holy Spirit.

John 11:35

Jesus wept.

* I am to conduct myself in a worthy manner as an ambassador of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:27

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

* Backbiting and devouring one another can lead to death. Our lack of gentleness can destroy one another and destroy relationships. We can destroy some one's self esteem~ their zest for life and her spirit. That is why it is so important to not give up when we blow it.

Galatians 5:15

But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

* Just meditate on this verse and let the Holy Spirt speak to you about this one.

Proverbs 25:15

By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.

* Since God did not create me with a natural gentleness of my own ~ He is going to have to do the work through me and each victory I have will be all to His glory. As He is continuing to work on and through me I must allow myself to be tenderized and molded by His potter's wheel. I may have to go through a few dead skunks before I get there but I know my Almighty Father God will continue to work on me until I can say, " You can call me gentle if you want to." And it will be true.