Friendliness part 4

 January 28, 2021 devotional

Did you know that your friendliness towards others has the ability to diffuse a rather hostile situation?  Sure, I believe it really does.

Take, for instance, a rather tense moment in David's life.

Sometime around 1070 B.C. a man named David had been running for his life.  the King of Israel was trying to kill him.  As David and his loyal followers were hiding in the land, the just happened to come to the aid of an fellow Israelite named Nabal.  David and his men stopped some foreign invaders from killing Nabal's servants and stealing his livestock.  A little later on, Nabal was busy shearing his sheep and, since David and his men had been in hiding, they though that perhaps Nabal could show a little hospitality; could he spare a little food and drink for a band of hungry men.  Well Nabal, whose name means "fool," wasn't too kind in his response.  Instead of being grateful for what David did, he insulted him (1 Samuel 25:10-13).  Needless to say, David was outraged.

I want you to see how Nabal's wife responded to this volatile situation.  David is seething in anger, yet it is Abigail's friendliness that disarms the whole situation.

In 1 Samuel 25:23-25 we see that she took the blame for the misunderstanding.  She doesn't scold David for his reaction; she even admits that her husband caused the problem.  And I were add my own assessment of the situation I would say Abigail "saw" David.  She saw the situation through David's eyes.

Look again at question #4 in the self-evaluation section.  David was certainly not in a friendly mood that day, yet rather than being inflamed by David's anger, she spoke kindly to the man - with friendliness.

Have you ever had a circumstance when a little friendliness could calm a tense situation?  Have you ever wished that you could have remained calm rather than get drawn into the fight?  How do we keep from being influenced by the attitudes and actions of those around us?

Let's go back to the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  One specific characteristic the Holy Spirit produces in us is Peace.  And not the sort of peace the world might suggest (which is an absence of conflict), but the kind of peace only Jesus can produce in us (John 14:27).  When we draw closer to Jesus, our relationship with Him drives out fear; it calms a troubled heart.  So when we find ourselves in a tense situation, the peace in our heart enables us to express a genuine concern for the angry person standing before us.  We respond with friendliness even in the midst of conflict because we have first stood alongside Christ.

My friend, the world will never create an environment absent of conflict.  We will inevitably have to face a tense situation.  I preparation for the day, draw near to Christ today so you might remain peaceful and calm tomorrow.