Putting on a Gentle and Quiet Spirit

I enjoyed reading this book last June by Elizabeth George. There were several things that stood out to me but first let me give you the description from the back of the book.
Letting God shine through life's hard moments. How does it feel to be hurt by another person or treated unfairly? What about when we suffer for doing what is right? These experiences often cause feelings of frustrations, bitterness, and even anger. But God calls His women to respond in a different way - a way that those around us don't expect. He desires for us to put on a gentle and quiet spirit, one that puts our Heavenly Father on display to a watching world....and brings greater glory to Him. Discover how to:
1. Let others see God in your life even in the difficult times
2. Successfully handle life's challenges
3. Rest completely, in God's strength
There were so many good thoughts and points made in this book. One quote from the book was that "Gentle means not creating disturbances and Quiet means bearing with tranquility the disturbances caused by others." I found that such an interesting statement. We are to not cause disturbances or disruptions around us, but should be able to handle, with grace and a sense of calm, those caused by others. So often I let myself get pulled into the heat of the moment and dragged down to the level of those raising a fuss. Instead my attitude should be to try and calm the situation down or have the ability to simply walk away.
Here is another quote, "We should live life in utter reverence and awe and worship of God...reverential fear is the attitude of mind in the person who is always aware that she is in the presence of God". I am never alone, this should guide my choices each and every day. I should always keep this in the forefront of my mind and I go about my day. How I live life in front of those around me shows them my view of God.
This quote ties into the one above but I felt it was worth mentioning on its own, "We're to live a good life filled with good deeds on a daily basis". To me this implied the idea of choosing to do good on a regular basis because a lost world is watching. We should be characterized by a helpful and caring attitude especially to other believers. The world will only take notice if we have love for one another and that love is manifested in the deeds we do each day. Doing good deeds should become a common practice not a once in a while activity.
Lastly, "When it comes to mistreatment, you and I will have to choose whether to react or to respond. Rather than hate our enemies and retaliate against them and fear them, we must quietly - with a gentle and quiet spirit - trust in the Lord". This was such a good thought. So often it is easier to respond in the flesh than to react in the Spirit. Our flesh wants to avenge when we have been wronged or hurt but that will not aide in the spreading of the gospel. When people see that we have been wronged and we don't react as they would we can make a statement for Christ. Choosing to trust that He will make things right in His time will be a far better choice than reacting and losing our testimony for Christ.
I hope you get a copy of this book and read it for yourself. There are discussion questions that make this a great book for your own quiet time. We are to always seek to grow more into the image of Christ and I believe this book will be a great help.

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