Gentleness Known to All
August 26
Gentleness Known to All
Matthew (Tolu) Olowoyeye
Founder · The Berean
Philippians 4:5
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
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Paul wants our gentleness to be no secret. Let your gentleness be known to all men, not hidden, not reserved for the few who have earned it, but evident to everyone, a reputation we carry. The word he uses suggests a sweet reasonableness, a graciousness, a willingness to yield and not insist on every right, the opposite of the rigid, demanding, always-standing-on-our-rights spirit. Paul's vision is of believers so marked by gentle reasonableness that even outsiders notice it.
Then he adds a curious little reason: The Lord is at hand. Why attach that to a call for gentleness? Perhaps because the awareness that the Lord is near, near in presence, and near in His coming, frees us to be gentle. We do not have to fight tooth and nail for every right and grievance, because the Lord is at hand to vindicate, to judge justly, to put all things right. The person who trusts that God is near can afford to hold their rights loosely and treat others gently, leaving the outcomes with Him.
Let your gentleness be known today, even to the difficult, even when you are right. The Lord is at hand.
Take Into The Day
Let your gentleness show today, even to difficult people, even when you could insist on your rights. Hold your grievances loosely, trusting that the Lord is at hand to put things right, and be known for gracious reasonableness.
Prayer
Lord, let my gentleness be known to all, not hidden or reserved for the deserving. Because You are at hand, I need not fight for every right or nurse every grievance. Free me to be gracious and yielding, trusting You to put all things right. Amen.
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