Good morning!
I am thinking today how being gentle is so often mistaken for weakness in our world. Rulers and leaders –presidents and prime ministers—are not chosen because they are “gentle.” If so, people might think they are wimps and other countries may want to take advantage of them. Gentle rulers might not be listened to, respected, or obeyed.
And yet
as Christians, we are called to be “gentle.”
The apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:5: “Let your gentleness be known to all people. For the Lord is near.”
And again he says in I Thess. 2:1-12:
“But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.”
Though we do not know what he was like in person, Paul, through his writings, doesn’t impress me as a wimp or sissy. When I think of Paul, I don’t think weakness. He braved all sorts of dangerous situations and was tortured, slandered, and imprisoned for the sake of the gospel. In the end, he was a martyr for Christ. I don’t know if I could be as faithful to God’s call if I faced the persecution Paul faced.
So is it possible that Paul was both gentle and courageous? Strong and merciful? I think it is not only possible; a Christian has to be courageous and strong in order to be gentle and merciful, as we are called to be. And we can and will be all these things through the power of the Spirit; they are gifts from God.
God Himself is gentle, merciful, strong, and courageous. He has shown his gentleness and mercy in that he has forgiven us of all our sins through His own sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. He is also strong and just, however. He will punish the unrighteous in the end if they do not turn away from evil and seek to love and obey Him.
Our Lord is gentle and merciful with His children, though we are still selfish and aren’t always willing to be gentle and merciful for His sake. We don’t want others to think we are weak and allow ourselves to be vulnerable to people who may hurt us with words and deeds. If we love our enemies and forgive those who have sinned against us, then we open ourselves to the possibility of being scorned, rejected or even attacked.
Yet He calls us to love and forgive our enemies, anyway.
My challenge to you today, my friends, is this: Be strong. Be courageous for Christ’s sake.
But also be gentle and merciful, forgiving those who have hurt you. For Christ’s sake, as well.
Will you pray with me?
Heavenly Father, You call us to be gentle, but we don’t always have the courage to live this way. We have learned it is safer to put up walls and guard our hearts than to give of ourselves. Help us to be brave enough to be vulnerable with other people—to show our love and trust without fear that we will be hurt or laughed at. Help us to accept and receive love and trust from others without suspicion and to return that love and trust without hesitation. Keep us from hurting one another. Lead us to encourage one another in gentleness and mercy and be faithful to Your call on our lives. In Christ we pray. Amen.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Karen
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