BE GENTLE “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” – Philippians 4:5 In our rough and rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness, being soft, and virtually spineless. Not so! The Greek term is extremely colorful, helping us to grasp a correct understanding of why the Lord sees the need for His people to be gentle. The word is used several ways in extra-biblical literature: A wild stallion that has been tamed, brought under control, is described as being gentle. Carefully chosen words that soothe strong emotions are referred to as gentle words. Ointment that takes the fever and sting out of a wound is called gentle. In one of Platos works, a child asks the physician to be tender as he treats him. The child uses this term, gentle. Those who are polite, who have tact and are courteous, and who treat others with dignity and respect are called gentle people. So then, gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a soothing effect on those who may be angry or otherwise beside themselves, and possessing tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self-esteem and dignity. - Chuck Swindoll Clearly, it includes a Christ-likeness, since Jesus uses the same term to describe His own character (Matthew 11:28-29). There is strength in gentleness when we are firmly rooted in Christ. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His example of gentleness and seek to be more like the Savior. God’s Word: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” - Galatians 5:22-23 Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2014, Devotional E-Mail WB Journal of My Journey
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 15:56:55 +0000
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