1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 2: You're listening to every Day Prayers with million praying moms 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 2: helping you pray God's word for your family in the 4 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 2: areas you need at most. 5 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 3: I'm your host, Nicolett Bell. Here. 6 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 2: We believe prayer isn't a last resort, It's our first 7 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 8 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. Today, 9 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 2: we are excited to have Christy Thomas, author of Everyday 10 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 2: Prayers for Gentleness, here with us on the podcast, and 11 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 2: we are diving into what it looks like to offer 12 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 2: gentleness to a hurting world that is longing for gentleness. 13 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:48,919 Speaker 2: And we're going to kind of talk about our cultural 14 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 2: context and how gentleness fits into it. And I am 15 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 2: so excited for today's conversation. We'll get right to it 16 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 2: after a quick word. 17 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 3: From our sponsors. 18 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 2: Christy, we are so glad to have you back with 19 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 2: us on the Everyday Prayers Podcast today. 20 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 3: Welcome to the show. 21 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,119 Speaker 2: Thank you for having me again. We're so glad that 22 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 2: you are here. For those that maybe missed last week 23 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 2: or don't know you. Give us just a quick intro 24 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 2: who are you and tell us about your kids Okay, Well, 25 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 2: I am Christy Thomas and I am from Western Canada 26 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 2: and I've written the book every Day Prayers for Gentleness, 27 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 2: among several other books for families and children. 28 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 3: And I was a children's ministry. 29 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 4: Director for a long time, which is why I write 30 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 4: books mostly for families and children, and now I'm mostly 31 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 4: an author and a parent. My boys are seventeen, fourteen, 32 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 4: and twelve, and then I have a husband who I 33 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 4: won't tell you his age because he would not appreciate that. 34 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 2: And you homeschool your boys, I do homeschool Melada, so 35 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 2: that's really cool. We have a large homeschool community here 36 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 2: at milnd prying moms, so I always love to put 37 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,639 Speaker 2: that in when we have homeschool and moms on the show. Okay, Christy, 38 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 2: So last week we kind of talked about how Jesus's 39 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 2: death on the Cross was the ultimate display of gentleness, 40 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 2: and we kind of talked about what it means to 41 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 2: be gentle and how we misunderstand it in that restraint 42 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 2: of power. So if you miss that episode, go back 43 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 2: and grab it, but if not, you can jump right 44 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 2: in with us today where we're starting, and I just 45 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 2: want to open our conversation today like why do we 46 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 2: need gentleness? Why did you feel like this was a 47 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 2: book we needed to write? 48 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 4: Okay, well, when I was first approached to write one 49 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 4: of the everyday prayers books, they said, okay, well, here's 50 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 4: the ones that you could choose from. You could choose 51 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 4: from kindness or gentleness. And I immediately thought, we have 52 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 4: to do gentleness. Gentleness is so radical, it is so 53 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 4: hard to do. It's the one for the spirit that 54 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 4: nobody wants. We don't want to grow in gentleness, but 55 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:53,359 Speaker 4: I knew it's the one that our world needs most 56 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 4: right now. And I wrote this book two years ago 57 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,239 Speaker 4: and it's just coming out now, and we need gentleness 58 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 4: even more now. And I can tell you why. It's 59 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 4: because we're allso stressed out, because we are living in 60 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,119 Speaker 4: an outrage culture. You look at any you know, psychology, 61 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 4: any news thing. We're constantly living in a state of 62 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 4: outrage where we're angry at somebody, so we're angry at 63 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 4: the other political people. 64 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 3: We are We're always have hot takes, hot takes. That's 65 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 3: a hot take on ice cream the other day and it. 66 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 4: Got like millions of views that she was granting about 67 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 4: how ice cream doesn't melt anymore. 68 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 3: There's a hot take for every topic. You could probably 69 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 3: have a hot take about ear rings. I don't know, 70 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 3: like just these. It's it's so ridiculous, and we live 71 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 3: in such a polarized culture. 72 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 4: Where and you know, I don't know if it's just 73 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 4: a social media or if COVID started this or just 74 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 4: COVID just kind of exacerbated it, where we feel like 75 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 4: everybody has to have an opinion about everything and everybody 76 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 4: and you can't get along with the people. You have 77 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 4: to constantly try and commit convince the people who have 78 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 4: the opposite opinions about everything, and it is stressing us 79 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 4: out so hard. 80 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 3: It makes us so anxious. 81 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 4: And like this mental health crisis among parents right now 82 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 4: partly because of this, because and we're trying to be perfect, 83 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 4: we're trying to do parenting well, and yet we live 84 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 4: in this place where everybody's angry all the time, and 85 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 4: it's so hard on us. 86 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 3: We're meant to live this way. 87 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 4: And here is maybe the bigger problem for Christians is 88 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 4: that the world often looks at Christians and says you're 89 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 4: the problem. 90 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 3: You're well, maybe not you're the problem, but you are 91 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 3: a huge source of the problem. 92 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 4: I've heard people say, oh, you know, somebody had a 93 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 4: really mean comment on Instagram, and they went to go 94 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 4: look at their profile, and sure enough, it talked about 95 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 4: Jesus as if like it's just accepted that Christians are 96 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 4: mean people and that is not okay, that is not 97 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,799 Speaker 4: Jesus said, they will know you're my disciples by your love, 98 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 4: not by the fact that you can trump any argument, 99 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 4: that you can win anything. Jonathan Edwards, who is not 100 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 4: known for his gentle who was a preacher during I'm 101 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 4: the Great Awakening. I'm not super familiar with him, but 102 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 4: i do know he was not known for his gentleness. 103 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 4: He was like a fire and brimstone preacher. But he 104 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 4: said that gentleness is that lamb like dovelike spirit and temper. 105 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 4: That is the true and distinguishing disposition of the hearts 106 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 4: of Christians, the true and distinguishing disposition of the hearts 107 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 4: of Christians. So if Christians are supposed if that's like 108 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 4: the mark of a Christian, we have really a far 109 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 4: astray from that. We are called to be different. Not 110 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 4: the problem itself. A Christian response, I think is not 111 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 4: to pick a side and to fire more shots and 112 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 4: to be right and to prove to people that we're right. 113 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 4: But it's found in having the same attitude as Christ. Jesus, 114 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 4: who did not consider equality with God is something to 115 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 4: be grasped. That he humbled himself and became a servant, 116 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 4: and he died on the cross for us, and we 117 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 4: are explicitly called have that same attitude because gentleness is 118 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 4: the very heart of the Gospel and Christ. 119 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 2: You just quoted Philippians too, for those that may not 120 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 2: pick that up, if you want to read more about that. 121 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,039 Speaker 2: It's one of the first passage passages of scripture that 122 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 2: I'm memorized, and it's just such a beautiful example of 123 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 2: the heart of Christ, and so much as kind of 124 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 2: rooted in that you have the same mind as that 125 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 2: of Jesus, who didn't take power, he didn't abuse his power. 126 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 2: He showed us another way in your so rit. It's 127 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 2: exactly what our world is longing for him. 128 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,039 Speaker 4: And I think that if we want our gospel witness 129 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 4: to be effective, if we're trying to point people to Jesus, 130 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 4: we need. 131 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 3: To be a lot more like Jesus. 132 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 4: If people are looking and just assuming that by our 133 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 4: social media profiles, oh, the person's a Christian because they're mean, 134 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 4: and look, they have Jesus in their bio. That is 135 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 4: not how you're going to share the gospel with people. 136 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 4: That is not a gospel that anybody wants. People don't 137 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 4: want more stress and anger. They want there's something about 138 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 4: gentleness that that draws people in, about a withholding of 139 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 4: power for the sake of others. I saw this story 140 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 4: the other day about these two churches in Texas, that 141 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 4: one was pretty small, but they had a big building, 142 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 4: and one was big and they had a tiny building. 143 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 4: And the church with the small building or the big 144 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 4: building and this dwindling congregation, he swallowed his pride, he 145 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 4: became humble, and he approached the other church and he said, 146 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 4: you want to switch buildings, And they literally no dollars 147 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 4: changed hands, They just switched buildings. And I was like, 148 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 4: that's the kind of stuff that makes people go, Yes, 149 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 4: that is what Christians are supposed to be doing, modeling 150 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 4: a different way, a completely different way from the world. 151 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 3: We are not supposed to look like the world. 152 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 4: And we have gotten way too comfortable with the outrage 153 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 4: and anger that the world shows. And sometimes I think 154 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 4: we feel like, well, if we don't show righteous outrage 155 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 4: and moral outrage than how we're going to fix things 156 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 4: in the world. 157 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 3: But that is that's actually not the Christian way. Jesus didn't. 158 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 4: His moral outrage was only ever toward the religious leaders, 159 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 4: not ward the hurting. 160 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 3: And the world and the broken weak. 161 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 4: I could go on this for a while, but because 162 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 4: it's really bugging me, really really bigging me, that we 163 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 4: are just leaning into the outrage. And the Book of 164 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 4: James says that human anger does not produce the kind 165 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 4: of righteousness that God requires. 166 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 3: It. 167 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 4: It's not we want to live in righteous we have 168 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 4: righteous anger. Well, I'm not sure that how much righteous 169 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 4: anger is really in existence. That's not God's anger because 170 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 4: a human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. 171 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 3: So we have to be so careful not to live 172 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 3: in human anger. 173 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 2: Such an interesting point, Christy, that you're bringing up, because 174 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 2: I think so often we can be like, okay, well, 175 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:55,719 Speaker 2: we want to model our lives after Jesus, right, Like 176 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:57,559 Speaker 2: we want to look like Jesus, and so we look 177 00:08:57,600 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 2: at his life and what he did and we want 178 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 2: to model that, mimic that, and that's totally biblical. But 179 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 2: I think there's certain sense there that we also need 180 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 2: to know that are some things about Jesus that we 181 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 2: cannot model, and we should not model, because he was 182 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 2: fully God even when he was on earth, and so 183 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 2: all judgment and righteous anger belongs to him because he 184 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 2: is the only righteous one, right, and so that's maybe 185 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 2: not something that we're supposed to mimic in his about 186 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 2: him right now, we should be angry when we see 187 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 2: injustice in the world, right, that's what he was angry 188 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 2: about that we are supposed to model, and that he 189 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 2: taught us, you know, to care for the needy and 190 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 2: to care for those who are are less than are 191 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 2: in a lesser than situation or whatever than you. And 192 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 2: so are the least of these, I guess is what 193 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 2: I'm saying, not lesser least of these. And so I 194 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 2: think that, you know, so often we can just say, 195 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 2: we can cling to that turning of the tables. 196 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 3: Moment, like he was. 197 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 2: Right, he was God, and he only did that twice, right, 198 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 2: that was like two times that we read about that 199 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 2: in the gospel. The everyday interactions of Christ were different. 200 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 2: They were gentle, they were and you're right, they were 201 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 2: on the anger and the even the the harsh teaching, 202 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 2: tarsh words were really directed at the religious leaders, and 203 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 2: so it's just amazing to really slow down and think 204 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 2: about that and kind of think a little bit sharper 205 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 2: about that. 206 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 4: And I think that Jesus flipping the tables was actually 207 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 4: an aspect of his gentleness. So in the last episode 208 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:38,560 Speaker 4: we talked about how gentleness is a withholding of control 209 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 4: for the sake of the vulnerable. Well, the reason Jesus 210 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 4: flipped those tables was because those people were taking advantage 211 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 4: of the foreigner and the poor, and so he's like, 212 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 4: this is not what you were supposed to be doing 213 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:52,719 Speaker 4: in here. This is not okay, And that's why he 214 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 4: flipped those tables. It never says that he whipped people. 215 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 4: There's copious Renaissance art that show like women and children 216 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 4: being like w No, that's not the Jesus always said. 217 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 4: I was like, did you Renaissance artists like actually read 218 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 4: the Bible? Maybe wasn't translated into their language. 219 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 3: Yet, But that's not the Jesus that we see in 220 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 3: the gospels at all. 221 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 4: He's whipping the animals get out of here, that's what 222 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 4: you do with animals. 223 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 3: Move. 224 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 4: He's getting the oxen out of there and releasing the 225 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 4: doves and flipping tables. 226 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 3: It doesn't say that he's whipping people. 227 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 4: But you're so right that that maybe not not every 228 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 4: aspect of Jesus can be modeled well, because we are human. 229 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 4: I never actually thought of that really, right, you know. 230 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:39,560 Speaker 2: We're made in His image, but we're not God, like 231 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:43,319 Speaker 2: God is other than us, right, So. 232 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 4: Well, in our sin gets in the way, right well, 233 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 4: And I think that's why I said human anger does 234 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 4: not produce the kind of righteousness that God calls us to. 235 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 4: And I feel like in almost every one of the 236 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 4: letters of Paul, he says something like this, get rid 237 00:11:56,679 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 4: of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along 238 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 4: with every form of malice there's that's in Colostions. 239 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,439 Speaker 3: There's probably one in Galatians, to like, it's all over 240 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 3: the place where he's like. 241 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 4: Get rid of your anger, stop being angry, stop living 242 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 4: in anger. Now I'm getting angry, I'm just getting anger. 243 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 3: I guess I'm. 244 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 4: Exciting because I'm hoping that this is something that that 245 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 4: we can truly live into and that we can see 246 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 4: a change in our Christian communities that we say I 247 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 4: refuse to live in this. I'm giving my anger to 248 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:36,839 Speaker 4: God and I'm going to live in in the gentleness 249 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 4: of Christ instead, And I can't even imagine what the 250 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 4: church would look like as a whole. I know that 251 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 4: there are amazing Christians who are already living like this. 252 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 4: I know a lot of Christians who live in this already. 253 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 4: But if the church as a whole became known for 254 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 4: our gentleness and not for our anger, what would the world. 255 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 2: Be like And how many people would want to know 256 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:00,440 Speaker 2: Jesus as a result of that, And how many of 257 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 2: our children would be drawn closer to Jesus if they 258 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 2: saw that lived out in us as moms, because they're 259 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 2: longing for something authentic, right, That's what the next generation 260 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 2: is longing for is authenticity, and they're looking at us 261 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 2: to see if our faith is authentic. And gentleness, to 262 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 2: me is one of the best ways that we can 263 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 2: show authentic faith. It's humility, right of humbling ourselves. 264 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 4: One of the things that I did at a homeschool 265 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 4: conference last year, and I have this on my website 266 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:35,079 Speaker 4: as well, and it's actually one of the free resources 267 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 4: that people get if they go to my website for 268 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 4: the Gentleness book is a class called Becoming a Slow 269 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 4: to Anger Parent. Because as parents. One of the biggest reasons. 270 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 2: Watch to go download that when we're finished. 271 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 4: Reasons why we're pushing our kids away from faith is 272 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,079 Speaker 4: that we're living and reacting out. 273 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 3: Of anger all the time. 274 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:00,599 Speaker 4: And there was a long term research study that was 275 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 4: done that followed a whole bunch of families for over 276 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:07,359 Speaker 4: thirty five years, and they discovered that when the primary 277 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 4: thing that holds children in the face of their parents 278 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 4: is a good connection with their parents. So anger damages that. 279 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 4: When we lash out at our kids in anger, that 280 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 4: damages that relationship with our kids. And I'm not saying 281 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 4: we don't discipline, that's not don't hear me saying any 282 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 4: of that stuff, But I'm saying and when we lash 283 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 4: out in reactivity, in anger all the time, that damages 284 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 4: that relationship with our kids. So if we want our 285 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 4: kids to know christ, if we want the world to 286 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 4: know Christ, we have got to stop lashing out in anger. 287 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 2: Man, you've convicted me this morning, Christie's So I've got 288 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 2: to go download the Slow to Be Anger Parents. Because 289 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 2: last night we had had just I had worked all day, 290 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 2: My husband didn't get home till like right at bedtime, 291 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,119 Speaker 2: like seven, seven thirty he's walking in from the hospital, 292 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 2: and like the baby's crying and Josie's like wanting to 293 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:00,160 Speaker 2: see dad and not wanting to go to bed and 294 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 2: all that, you know, in this moment of just parenting 295 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 2: in the in the middle of everything, and and I 296 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 2: just yelled at her over something ridiculous, Like it wasn't 297 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 2: about discipline, it wasn't about it was about that I 298 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 2: was stressed out, and I just took it out on her, right. 299 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 2: And so it's like in that in those moments, you know, 300 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 2: if it was just like maybe a one time thing, 301 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 2: I just you know, okay, let it go, give yourself 302 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 2: some grace or whatever. But I'm noticing this is becoming 303 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 2: a pattern the more, and like adding a second child 304 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 2: into our family and just the level of stress just 305 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 2: kind of going up in general. And you know, how 306 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 2: am I reacting to her? And how are my words? 307 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 2: You know, I get frustrated when she uses a sharp 308 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 2: tongue with me, but I'm showing her that I'm like, 309 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 2: I'm hearing myself and what my four year old is 310 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 2: saying back to me, right, And so I've already kind 311 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 2: of begun to be convicted about this. And so this 312 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 2: morning This is just such a beautiful reminder of Christ 313 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 2: shows us another way, and how I interact with her 314 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 2: will show her what he looks like. 315 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 3: Mm hm, And you have responsibility. 316 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 2: It is and there is grace, but there's there's also 317 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 2: a movement to that of wanting to be. 318 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 3: More like Christ and pursuing him more exactly. 319 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, Okay, so we'll all go download that from your 320 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 2: website when we listen to this episode. Christy, thank you 321 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 2: for that, and we'll keep that in mind as we 322 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 2: are reading through every Day Prayers for Gentleness because this 323 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 2: has been such a great conversation. I have just enjoyed 324 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 2: kind of diving into this, and we're going to continue 325 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 2: on Fridays to look at some of these. 326 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 3: Hot takes on gentleness. 327 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 2: Afraid to say that word, Chris, you might get me 328 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 2: about hot take on ice cream, right. 329 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 3: We'll call it something up. We'll just continue to. 330 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 2: Talk about gentleness and some of the kind of maybe 331 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 2: more controversial things around it or how we can live 332 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 2: that out as moms and as believers. 333 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 3: So Christy, thanks for. 334 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 2: Journeying with us in this, and we're continuing to read 335 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 2: through every Day Prayers for Gentleness on the podcast. You 336 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 2: can find all everything you need to know about that 337 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 2: at our website, Million Praying Moms dot com. 338 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 3: We hope that you will connect. 339 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 2: With us there and Christy tell everybody how they can 340 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 2: connect with you for sure. 341 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 4: So if you want that Slow to Anger parenting class, 342 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 4: you need to go to Little Shoots Deep Roots dot 343 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 4: com slash Gentleness and you can download it there. 344 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'll be doing that right after we conclude today. 345 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:24,360 Speaker 2: So thanks friends, and we will see you back on Monday. 346 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 1: Are you a visual learner? 347 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,479 Speaker 2: Would you like to receive our daily devotions and written 348 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 2: form right to your inbox? Then join our Patreon community 349 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,480 Speaker 2: of Praying Moms. Not only will you receive the transcripts 350 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 2: of each podcast devotional, you will also receive a monthly 351 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:40,919 Speaker 2: prayer calendar and surprise bonus content. 352 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 3: Learn more about our Praying Mom. 353 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 2: Community in today's show notes or at Million Prayingmoms dot com. 354 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,679 Speaker 3: Till next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 355 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:56,200 Speaker 2: Make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 356 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 2: May the Lord look with favor on you and give 357 00:17:59,040 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 2: you peace.