[Faith-talk] Fw: (Tafn-beliefs) DAILY DEVOTION

[Paul]

Again we give the floor or rather the keyboard to my good friend John Hosch from the UK, a member of TAFN, the Total Accessible Friends Network.  May what he wrote minister to your hearts, minds and spirits today.  Paul
----- Original Message ----- 
From: John Hosch at TAFN 
To: roomforyourbeliefs at googlegroups.com 
Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2014 2:48 AM
Subject: (Tafn-beliefs) DAILY DEVOTION


DAILY DEVOTION

Love Is Tactful, Not Just Truthful


 "A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant
his words, the more persuasive he is." (Proverbs 16:21 TEV)

Have you noticed how many difficult people there are in the world? Do you
feel like you have to deal with most of them some days?
You know what rude acts bug me the most? People who call me and then say,
"Who is this?" People who honk their horns in traffic jams. People who cheat
in the 10-items-or-less grocery line. People who steal your parking spot.
The list goes on, and I'm sure you can relate. So, how should we respond in
love to difficult people?
Proverbs 16:21 says, "A wise, mature person is known for his understanding.
The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is" (TEV).
The more pleasant you are, the more persuasive you are. And, you're never
persuasive when you're abrasive. Nagging doesn't work.
The way you say something determines the way it's received. If you say
something offensively, it's going to be received defensively. That's why
love is all about your words. Love is truthful, but it is also tactful.
Tact and tone always go together. It matters the way you say something, not
just what you say. You can say something very difficult for someone to hear,
but if you say it in the right tone - a loving tone - it will be received
much better.
A loving response to a difficult person requires you to be pleasant and
tactful. If you want to be below that difficult person, attack him. If you
want to be even with him, get even with him. But if you want to respond the
way Jesus would, show that person love with the words you say and the way
you say them.
You may have heard the saying, "If you don't have something nice to say,
don't say anything at all." Do you think the best response to a difficult
person is ever to just walk away? Why or why not?
What would you need to change about your attitude to be known as a "wise,
mature person"?
What does it mean to be tactful?
John Hosch

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