I’ve been thinking all week about gentle persuasion and how it has affected my life both in a great and positive way and also in a ‘not so good way.’ Today I saw this tall grass being gently persuaded by the soft wind that was blowing and I knew I had to get out of my car and take a picture.
I learned alot when my kids were young and growing up. Gentle persuasion with kindness and love always had better results than sterness. We are all affected by some form of persuasion whether it is direct through a person encouraging us or less direct like the example of someone or words spoken that penitrate our heart and cause us to act or change our behavior.
Our Father in Heaven has given His children the Holy Ghost to encourage, comfort and direct through gentle persuasion. Only you know how the Spirit speaks to you, but most often it will be gentle. The Holy Ghost will softly persuade you to come unto Christ if you open your heart to his guidance.
Unfortunately not all gentle persuasion is good. I learned in a very personal way that satan also persuades very gently in a manner to deceive you. He is clever in his ability to make harmful and destructive things appear pleasant and inviting. I fell into his gentle persuasion that quickly became unpleasant and harmful to my soul. I personally experienced spiritual entrapment where I felt I was not growing closer to my Savior but instead feeling more distant from Him.
Unlike the tempting and enticing persuasion of satan, the Lord Jesus Christ will never persuade us through the Holy Ghost in a harmful way. We will always have our agency to choose whether or not we will follow those gentle promptings. Keeping the commandments of God will protect us from the evil temptations of the adversary so that we are not led astray. I will be forever grateful for a Father in Heaven who loved me enough to help me change my ways through the gentle persuasion of the Holy Ghost.
Listen and seek after the gentle promptings of the Holy Ghost that will help guide you home to your Father in Heaven.
by Tanya Christiansen