Making Gentleness Known
On Sunday we will have a special announcement. To prepare for that announcement, please watch the videos on Grace in Action and the Clifton Strength Finders. You may view those by clicking here or copying and pasting the following link: https://grace-in-action.com/cliftonstrengths-coaching/
Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5)
As Paul ended his letter to the Philippians, he addressed some of the issues that the congregation was facing. One issue was that two women in the congregation had a disagreement of some sort. Both women had shared in the gospel ministry that Paul had in Philippi. But there was something that they disagreed on. Paul urged them to come to an agreement. And he asked those who were in leadership in the congregation to help these women to come to an agreement for the sake of the gospel. And then Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always!”
Our true joy as Christians shouldn’t come from our worldly situations. It doesn’t come from how much money we have, or how many people like us, or how healthy we are. Our joy comes from our savior. It comes from knowing that our sin has been forgiven and our names are written in the book of life. And because of that Paul tells us “Let your gentleness be known to everyone.” Since we have joy that comes from Christ, we can be gentle with one another. Our attitude is no longer “me first.” It is no longer “I have to make sure that I do what I need to to be the top dog.” Instead, we show the gentle love that Christ has shown to us. Because we know that God is watching over us. He is protecting us, and he will do what is best for us.
In this crazy Christmas season, where many people become stressed out and short-tempered, let us treat one another with gentleness. Let us show the world the gentleness that Jesus has shown to us in offering himself as our sacrifice, to bring us back to God. Amen.
The song for today is “The Lord Is Near” by the Dameans