Thurs. Feb 4
"GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO ARE [GENTLE]." (MT 5:5 NLT)
Gentleness
The word "gentleness" sounds so much like weakness that we are tempted to think of the word "wimp." Nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek [gentle]: for they shall inherit the earth" (KJV). Notice, the gentle don't strive, manipulate, or compete like others, yet they inherit everything. When you "inherit" something you don't have to strive for it, you receive it because you're loved, valued, and part of the family.
Gentleness is born of love. It refuses to rush to judgment; doesn't drop names of force its way because it has nothing to prove; is trouble when the structure, the budget or the corporate image becomes more important than the people we're called to serve; is grieved when the schedule leaves no time to stop and care for the young, the old, the sick or the hurting. Gentleness is a virtue hard to find in a society that admires toughness. We're encouraged to get things done and get them done on time, even though people get trampled on in the process. Success, accomplishment and productivity count, but at what cost? There's no place for gentleness in such a milieu.
Paul was a powerhouse for God, yet he wrote: "We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children" (1 Th 2:7 NIV). A gentle person treads lightly, listens carefully, looks tenderly, and touches with reverence and sensitivity. The gentle know that true growth requires nurture, not force. So let's dress ourselves in gentleness, for in our tough and unbending world, gentleness is a vivid reminder of God's presence among us.
Gentleness is born of love. It refuses to rush to judgment; doesn't drop names of force its way because it has nothing to prove; is trouble when the structure, the budget or the corporate image becomes more important than the people we're called to serve; is grieved when the schedule leaves no time to stop and care for the young, the old, the sick or the hurting. Gentleness is a virtue hard to find in a society that admires toughness. We're encouraged to get things done and get them done on time, even though people get trampled on in the process. Success, accomplishment and productivity count, but at what cost? There's no place for gentleness in such a milieu.
Paul was a powerhouse for God, yet he wrote: "We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children" (1 Th 2:7 NIV). A gentle person treads lightly, listens carefully, looks tenderly, and touches with reverence and sensitivity. The gentle know that true growth requires nurture, not force. So let's dress ourselves in gentleness, for in our tough and unbending world, gentleness is a vivid reminder of God's presence among us.
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