This week’s devotions are based on the introduction week of “Explore God” (WATCH HERE)
It’s not what you said. It’s how you said it.
Have you ever received this comment or said it to someone?
Inflection and tone are ways the communicate what is going on in the heart over what comes out of the head.
One can say, “I love you” with tenderness and genuine emotion as you look into the eys of your spouse.
One can say, “I love you, too!” with anger and bitterness in response to someone who cut them off in traffic or did something that you didn’t think you deserved.
We can do the same thing when we witness.
“Jesus loves you!” spoken with a tone of love and care to a person in tears who just realized for the first time they were fully forgiven comes from a heart of love.
“Jesus loves you!” spoken to a person you just had a disagreement with and have resentment and anger but perhaps Jesus still loves them communicates very differently.
How we give a reason for the hope we have is equally important that what we say when we communicate the hope we have in Jesus. The Apostle Peter knew that the temptation when speaking with conviction about our faith was to do it in a way that was forceful and disrespectful. So he said this:
1 Peter 3:15-17 But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
The tone of our voice can communicate the status of our heart. People can still speak against the words we share, disagree with what we stand for or speak maliciously against our good behavior. However, they will be in the wrong, not you. For in communicating the hope we have in Jesus with gentleness and respect will leave our hearts with a clear conscience before God and mankind. We have given them no reason to speak against us. If they do, they are the ones in the wrong.
Remember, what we communicate comes from our minds. How we communicate comes from our heart. Both have to be prepared to engage in conversations that may have opportunity to be rude and contentious, but our hearts and minds are covered with the armor of God so that we can speak the truth in love, with gentleness and respect.
Apply: Consider past situations where you have spoken with a lack of gentleness and respect? What has been the outcome compared to a time where you were able to speak with gentleness and respect.
Prayer: Lord, fill my heart with your love so that my words are always true, seasoned with gentleness and respect. AMEN