The Gentle Tongue
In the stillness of the early morning today, I was reading Psalm 138, and it was verse 8 that seemed to leap from the page: “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me.” Those words reminded me that God is not finished with me yet. We all struggle with some area of our lives that needs to grow, soften, or change. For me, one of those areas is the way I sometimes speak to people, including my wife. I can be too quick with my words and easily forget the gentleness that should mark a Christian life. Paul gave us a beautiful picture of that gentleness in 1 Thessalonians 2:7–8 when he wrote, “We were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children…” There is something deeply moving about that image. Christian love is not merely about saying the right things; it is about carrying people with tenderness, patience, and genuine affection.
Perhaps that is part of what Psalm 138:8 means for us today: God is still at work in the unfinished places of our character. He does not abandon us because we stumble in the same area again and again. Instead, He patiently continues His work, shaping us into people who reflect the heart of Christ. My prayer this morning is not simply, “Lord, help me speak more gently,” but, “Lord, make my heart more gentle.” Let my words toward my wife, my family, my friends, and even those who frustrate me become words that bring life rather than hurt. The God who began His work in me is still working, and He will not leave the work unfinished. Perhaps the weakness we are most aware of today is not evidence that God has failed us, but an invitation to place that very weakness into His hands and trust Him to fulfil His purpose in us.