“Love makes it impossible to harm another...” (Romans 13:10 TPT)
Infants do not have the capacity to control their movements. They flail their arms and legs unconsciously. Some parents put little mittens on their newborns to prevent them from scratching themselves. These baby mittens are made of very soft yarn.
Kid gloves, although they sound similar to baby mittens, are not the same. The ‘kid’ refers to the fact that these gloves are made from the skin of a young goat. To treat a person with ‘kid gloves’ is to handle them tactfully, because they are perceived as sensitive.
Baby mittens are used to prevent self-harm to the wearer. Kid gloves are used to prevent injury to another. These are not interchangeable. You cannot handle a person who is lashing out with kid gloves. Coddling them will lead to more damage. Their false narratives have to be confronted. Truth, even when it is unpleasant, must be spoken and then repeated as often as is necessary.
Love does no wrong. Sometimes, only a loved one can restrain a person from self-harm or hurting others. There are situations that require tact and other circumstances that necessitate confrontation. To love one another, we must learn to use the tools of discretion and dissuasion thoughtfully and tenderly.
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