Read Ephesians 4:17-32

Areas I always ask God to help me are gentleness and self-control. These are attitudes I did not grow up. Now that I am a mom, I notice the lack of these attitudes manifest in me towards my daughter. I always have to remind myself to speak gently and to control how I show my anger or disappointment, especially with how I speak. Gentleness and self-control are two of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s fruits do not grow by force. We can’t force a tree to produce fruit right away, either. It will take time to mature. The Spirit produces the fruits of the spirit, not by our own efforts.

If, like me, you struggle with being gentle with your words, don’t give up! It’s difficult, I’m sure, to completely abandon the old self-life in a flash. God is patient with us, and if we allow him to, he is always willing to change our hearts. Let us pray to God to fill us with his Spirit, grace, and love each day. Then, at all times, let us seek the Holy Spirit’s help in guarding our tongues and preventing any slanderous speech from coming out of them. When we look at our neighbor the way how God looks at them, we will always choose to lead with love and shower them with good and gracious words.