Soft, Gentle and Kind

The softest, gentlest and kindest man who ever lived is Christ Jesus, our Lord. Men may not like to be regarded as soft. It has the connotation of being weak. But Jesus was soft as in being tender and vulnerable, not weak. Anyone could approach him without feeling intimidated or scared. Though Jesus was soft, he was also the toughest man who ever lived. He stared his vicious enemies in the face and faced his own excruciating demise without flinching. He is tender and tough. He is vulnerable and fearless. He is soft and courageous. Jesus is a man's man.

The Bible speaks volumes about gentleness and kindness, which should reflect the soft heart of God and of Christ toward us fallen, belligerent and incorrigible creatures.

• "Let your gentleness be evident to all" (Phil 4:5). "Let your graciousness be known to everyone" (Phil 4:5, HCSB).

• "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" (Jas 1:19).

• "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,gentleness and patience" (Col 3:12).

• "Your speech should always be gracious..." (Col 4:6, HCSB).

• "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of" (Lk 6:45).

• "Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips" (Eccl 10:12).

• "A soft (gentle) answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Prov 15:1, ESV).

• "Gentle words are a tree of life..." (Prov 15:4, NLT).

• "Gracious (pleasant, kind) words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones" (Prov 16:24).

• "...a gentle (soft) tongue (soft speech) can break a bone" (Prov 25:15).

"Gentle is the one who is attentive to the strengths and weaknesses of the other and enjoys being together more than accomplishing something. A gentle person treads lightly, listens carefully, looks tenderly, and touches with reverence. A gentle person knows that true growth requires nurture, not force. Let's dress ourselves with gentleness. In our tough and often unbending world our gentleness can be a vivid reminder of the presence of God among us." Henri Nouwen.