Speaking Softly
- Shawna Jones
- May 28, 2023
- 2 min read
(5/27/23)
"(1) Then the men of Ephraim said to him, 'What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?' And they accused him fiercely. (2) And he said to them, 'What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? (3) God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?' Then their anger against him subsided when he said this."
With God's guidance, Gideon led his group of 300 men from Abiezer, Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali to attack the Midianites ( Judges 6:33-35 ). It was only after the initial attack that Gideon called up the Ephraimites for assistance ( Judg. 7:24 ). Despite the Ephraimites' accomplishment in capturing the 2 princes of Midian, the group began to quarrel with Gideon for not calling them out earlier along with the other tribes. Although Gideon could've responded by belittling the Ephraimites, he chose to respond to the quarreling with humility. Gideon's gentle response prevented any further problems that could've arisen and soothed the anger of the people ( v.3 ). Just like Gideon, we should strive to sow peace with the way that we speak and respond to others. While responding proudly leads to more quarreling and possibly to sin, humble responses can de-escalate harsh conversations. In all our discussions, we should strive to maintain peace so that God can be glorified through our speech.
God, thank You for Gideon's example of how we should respond to others. Help me to respond softly and with humility when others speak harshly. Help me to sow peace when people around me want to sow discord. Thank You.
In Jesus' Name, I pray, Amen.
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