Dress
yourself with…Gentleness
November 2021
What do
washing machines, dish soap, a grizzly bear named “Ben,” and you have in common? You, the bear, and
those other items can all be gentle.
St. Paul encouraged the members of one of his churches, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5).
Too often we
associate gentleness with being a wimp. That is not true. Washing machines can
rip clothes to shreds.
Soaps can irritate the skin. Bears can maul people. And just turn on the news to see what destruction human beings can do.
Nevertheless, we can be gentle. We
can learn to be unselfish and considerate in all we do.
Think what the world would be like
if everyone showed unselfish consideration for others! There would be no road
rage. Children wouldn’t fight over a particular toy. Customers and cashiers
wouldn’t stall checkout lines by bickering over sale prices. Divorce might even
come to a halt.
Of course, we will never be able to be perfectly gentle in this life. But, Jesus was. With a word, Jesus could calm a raging sea or cause a tree to wither. Yet he never failed to heal the sick, preach good news to the poor, and offer forgiveness to the worst of sinners.
Jesus even offers forgiveness for
the times we have failed to be gentle, those times when we insisted on getting
our way and didn’t care whom we hurt to get
it. When we think of Jesus’ willingness to forgive us, it makes us want to be
more like him – gentle and caring.
There was a Christian man whose
very presence was a visual definition of words like strong, tough, and thoroughly masculine. Yet for
twenty-five years he spent nearly every Sunday afternoon leading a worship
service for a hundred mentally retarded women at the state mental hospital.
That man let his gentleness be
evident to all. Do you desire that same gentle spirit in your life? See and
hear how as you worship and study God’s Word with us!
Upcoming Events at St John
Worship Services: Sunday at 8:30 AM
Adult Bible Study: 9:45 AM
Visit our website at stjohnev.net
Call us at 651-771-6406
St. Paul encouraged the members of one of his churches, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5).
Soaps can irritate the skin. Bears can maul people. And just turn on the news to see what destruction human beings can do.
Of course, we will never be able to be perfectly gentle in this life. But, Jesus was. With a word, Jesus could calm a raging sea or cause a tree to wither. Yet he never failed to heal the sick, preach good news to the poor, and offer forgiveness to the worst of sinners.
Worship Services: Sunday at 8:30 AM
Adult Bible Study: 9:45 AM
Visit our website at stjohnev.net
Call us at 651-771-6406
No comments:
Post a Comment