Being Gentle
Do you consider yourself a gentle person?
Verse of the Day
“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”
Today’s Devotional
Ouch. This one cuts to my heart. I don’t see myself as a gentle person. So what does this mean?
As I researched it, several things stood out. This word perfectly describes Jesus. Think of how He handled the woman caught in adultery. He was not shaming. He was not harsh. He was kind. He did not condemn her, He only said to “Go and sin no more.” Jesus was gentle with everyone except the religious leaders. All the broken sinners He encountered were treated with kindness and respect for where they were right in that moment.
The next thing that stood out was that this gentleness describes a person who lets the Lord fight his battles. If someone treats me poorly, it is my job to forgive and not react with similar behavior. It describes a person who is free not to carry anxieties, because he knows that God will handle things. It describes a person who is willing to meet people in the middle of their mess to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Next, we are to treat ALL people this way. Not just the Christians. Not just family. Not just people we like. Everyone. And that is hard. That guy who cuts us off in traffic…I should pray for him. The coworker who is incredibly annoying, I should be kind. This one must surely require lots more time in prayer than I am currently in the habit of doing.
But what does it mean that the Lord is near? For me, it means that we never know when Jesus is coming back. It’s a sense of holy anticipation that Jesus could come back at any moment. And honestly, Jesus is literally inside of me right now, so I need to tap into that power in order to treat others this way.
We need to be gentle. With everyone. Because of Jesus.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How can you practice gentleness today?
What battles do you need to let the Lord fight?
What anxieties do you need to turn over?
Who, specifically, can you be gentle with today?
How can you practice being gentle with yourself today?