I’ve been building flat-pack furniture – including a trundle bed that had around 150 screws. Using a manual screwdriver, channelling my happy Design & Technology days, I popped on a great podcast and set to work. On the final screw, I looked down to see my palm in shreds. The constant friction of screwing had caused a sizeable blister that needed some serious attention. I had been totally unaware of the damage I was doing as I put in screw after screw.
When Peter was writing to persecuted Christians, he advised the women who were married to unbelievers that they might win their husbands for Jesus with “a gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4 NIV). The Greek for ‘quiet’ is hēsychiou, a word meaning quiet, tranquil, peaceful. But more than that, hēsychiou “describes being “appropriately tranquil” by not misusing (or overusing) words that would stir up needless friction.” *
The overuse of my screwdriver had meant constant and needless friction had built up to cause deep damage. We bought a quiet, electric drill and proceeded to build a desk using it. This drill was not destructive as far as my hand was concerned – there was no unnecessary friction.
My palm is healing, slowly, but there will be scar tissue if I don’t care for the wound well. I need to take care when using my hand – stretching too much results in the fragile skin tearing all over again. When there is damage that deep, regular moisturising and intentionality in bringing the skin back to health is needed.
I wonder if there are relationships in your world where an overuse of words has resulted in needless friction? Are there individuals you know who have been alienated from Jesus through a lack of quietness in Spirit? Gentleness in this verse is not weakness, rather it’s exercising God’s strength, in his control. Perhaps it’s time to get the moisturiser out and bring those relationships back to health.
Promiseseeker 