Gentle Wisdom

My son about to disappear behind the couch

                When was the last time you thought about the story of the sword and the stone? If it has been a while, here is a refresher (at least the way I remember it): Once there was a city without a real king and things fell into chaos. People began to look everywhere for a proper king, but the true air to the thrown could only be the one to remove Excalibur the sword from a large stone that it had been trapped in. Many men from all around came to try to pull the sword from the stone and were unsuccessful. No amount of strength could be used to free the sword. Finally, a young orphan boy came along and thought that if strength could not remove the sword, perhaps gentleness could. He very carefully pulled the sword from the stone and became one of the greatest kings that land had ever seen. This story came to my mind after reading James chapter 3.

                At the end of this chapter, James says that whoever has wisdom should show that wisdom through gentleness. If your goals are selfish, he says, than you should not try to brag about your accomplishments or deny that you are motivated by your own gain or pretend that pursing these things makes you wise because the type of wisdom that is selfish James says is demonic. True wisdom is without favoritism or hypocrisy and brings with it peace wherever it goes.

                When my life falls into chaos, my first reaction is to fight anyone who comes close. It is easy to lash out when we are upset, but I never thought about it being wise to respond to chaos with gentleness. What is my first reaction in the face of trouble? What do my actions reveal about my wisdom? Do I consider myself wise because of my own pursuits? How should my heart and attitude change in order to respond with gentleness the next time I am faced with chaos?

                Dear Lord, please help me to be wise and respond to some of the hectic things in my life with gentleness rather than anger. Help me to be patient with the things in my life that do not go the way I expect them to. Amen.