How are you? How has your week been? Have you been gentle?
For the past several weeks, I’ve had members tell me that this sermon series has been so humbling and convicting. And all I could say was that I was in the same boat.
It’s been humbling and convicting for me personally. The Lord has been showing me how I fail in so many different areas regarding the Fruit of the Spirit. It has not been any different with the fruit of Gentleness. After this Sunday, it was my goal to be gentle with my kids, and it didn’t take long for me to fail in that area.
What does it mean for us to be gentle? It means that we are called to restore sinners with truth, humility, and love. We need truth or else we would not be serving the purposes of God. But we also need to wrap the truth with love and compassion.
Also, gentleness means that we bear one another’s burdens. We see the brokenness in other people, and we minister to them by carrying their hurt and worries. We lay down our time, strength, and heart so that we can help others. In addition to that, this calls us to lay down our burdens for others to carry as well.
For us to be gentle means that we ought to be humble. We must not think that we are something, but instead, we must understand that we are nothing apart from God.
This is only possible through Christ. We can be gentle toward others, because He was first gentle toward us. He carried our greatest burden of sin on the cross. He emptied Himself, becoming a servant, obedient to the point of death on the cross for us. This was how He was first gentle with us.
Because of His gentleness toward us first, now we are able to be gentle with one another. May you display the gentleness of Christ to everyone around you.
Come out to Topical Study this Friday @7:30pm. We will take a look at Esther! Please read the book beforehand! See you all for Lord’s Day Worship on Sunday!
In Christ,
Pastor Tim
Photo Credit: http://healthcareassociates.net/how-caregivers-can-create-a-culture-of-gentleness/