SHOWING GENTLENESS - Col 3:12-13

SHOWING GENTLENESS
 

Col 3:12-13  "You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you."

Couldn't resist the picture today. That's my sister-in-law I'm trying to hug. She doesn't like hugs but I'm giving her one anyway. It was a precious moment even if it doesn't look like it.

Showing gentleness can sometimes be an adventure. Will you take one today do something for me: Gently tap objects as you walk through your house. You can tap a window, a hardwood floor, a countertop, a glass vase or the front door. Why do you need to be gentle when you tap items around the house? Some items are hard and there seems to be no need to be gentle. While other items are fragile and seem to break easy? No matter what the appearance both items can break.

Sometimes your actions are what you use to "tap" the people around us. It's important to remember that you can hurt others with your behavior, just as you can be hurt by what others do. Because you are fragile, God wants you to be gentle with others. Philippians 4:5 says, "Let your gentleness be evident to all." Your actions are evidence of your gentleness, and when you make an effort to be gentle with others, you show God's character to the world.

Thank you Father for the people in my life who show me gentleness. God help me find ways to show Your gentleness to others today I pray, in Jesus name!

Ask Yourself:
- What is one thing I do that shows gentleness to others?
- How difficult or easy is it to show gentleness to others?
- How have others modeled gentleness to you?
- What can I do this week to show gentleness to someone?

You are loved!

A HEART OF GENTLENESS - 1 Peter 3:4

A HEART OF GENTLENESS
1 Peter 3:4 Instead, your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God's sight.

This week I've been trying to get you interactive with others so these thoughts will impact how you think and do. So have fun with this and see if God doesn't do something special for you today.

Place a small amount of flour in one brown paper bag and rocks or gravel in another. Without their knowing what is inside, have another family member guess, then reach into one bag at a time and describe how the contents feel. Both bags look exactly the same on the outside, but the contents of one are soft, while the contents of the other are hard.

People are like these bags — you can't always tell what's on the inside. You learn in 1 Samuel 16:7 that "man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." God knows you can use your outward appearance — how you act and what you say — to cover up what's really inside, just like the bags covered their contents.

You might act kind and gentle but have bad attitudes or mean thoughts. While God wants you to be gentle on the outside, He also wants your heart to be gentle. When your heart is full of gentleness, God can use you to bless others.
Ask God to help you keep your heart gentle. Talk to Him about times when you haven't had a heart of gentleness, and ask for His forgiveness.
Questions for Growth
- Who is someone you know with a gentle heart? What do you like about this person?
- Who is someone you know with a hard heart? How does this person treat you?
- What causes your heart to become hard?
- What are some ways you can keep your heart soft?

You are Loved!

GOD LEADS IN HIS GENTLENESS - Isa 40:11

GOD LEADS IN HIS GENTLENESS
Isa 40:11 He will take care of his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs together and carry them in his arms; he will gently lead their mothers.

Put on a blindfold. Then, have another family member guide you through different rooms by "steering" your shoulders from behind. Then walk through the same rooms, still blindfolded, following the whispered directions of a trusted family member. (This is a great lesson for you kids)

The whole point is just as family members can guide you with touch and whispers, God has many ways of gently leading you forward. He directs you through His Word (Psalm 119:105),
with a quiet voice (1 Kings 19:11–13) and through other people (Hebrews 13:7). No matter how He leads you, God can do so without being harsh. If you accidentally head in the wrong direction, He can gently help you back onto His path. Even when you purposely disobey, His desire is to lovingly correct you. In the process of
learning to follow Him, God allows you to make choices and suffer the consequences of your choices; but He also knows how to pull you gently back into His fold.

You serve a loving God. Thank Him for His desire to lead you gently toward Him and His willingness to give you the choice of obedience.

You are loved!

GENTLENESS IN SPEECH - Proverbs 15:1

GENTLENESS IN SPEECH

Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

List five words that describe your best friend. Now list five words that describe someone you don't get along with very well. Say each of the 10 words out loud and consider how you'd feel if each of those words were used to describe you.

Words are powerful. "The tongue has the power of life and death" (Proverbs 18:21). Wow! What you say — and how you say it — really does matter. Words can hurt, or they can heal. When you respond to hurtful words with more hurtful words, you only make things worse. If you answer with gentleness, you can soothe angry or bitter feelings and restore broken relationships. Our gentle words show people that they have value, whether you agree or disagree with them. Proverbs 12:18 says, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."
Thank you Father for giving us the ability to be gentle with our words. Help us to choose your words carefully so they are not hurtful.

Questions to help you on your journey of faith...
- How have others hurt you with their words?
- How have you hurt others with your words?
- What gentle words have been given to you, and how did they help you?
- Who is one person you can use gentle words with, even if this person doesn't deserve them?

You are loved!

TODAY’S THOUGHT - 1 Peter 5:6-7

TODAY’S THOUGHT

1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.


A great paradox in life is the statement, “the way down is up and the way up is down.” I always thought it a weird statement. But to often in today’s self-centered, self-promoting society people are looking to be one up on someone else. However, in one’s quest to rise to the top in popularity or success it’s easy to become self-reliant and prideful. That is why the scripture say’s “pride comes before a fall.”
In God’s economy, the way up is down. Many might disagree with that but when we walk humbly before God as obedient and faithful servants, God will always reward us.

His timing or His ways may be different from what we would choose however, when God elevates us, his place of honor and promotion is far greater than anything we could do for ourselves. As believers, God has called us to lift up the name of Jesus in every area of our lives. As we humble ourselves and rely upon the mighty power of God in our lives, God will elevate us so that we can illuminate him.

You are loved!

TODAY’S THOUGHT - Isa 43:1

TODAY’S THOUGHT

Isa 43:1  "But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."
 
As I was reading this scripture this morning this thought came to mind; "It’s not a matter of “if” it’s a matter of “when” we will go through deep waters, rivers of difficulty and fires of oppression. Difficulty in our work and finances, problems in our marriage, conflict with our kids and pain through strained friendships and relationships can cause us to feel like we’re drowning. Many try to minimize those feelings but as believers, we must remind ourselves that God “will be with us.” If we trust in Him we have help, because it’s in those times that He wants to remind us “He is the Lord, our God.”
No matter what we face in life, we can be encouraged to know that God is always there. He will not let us “drown” or be “burned up” by the trials of life. In fact, God wants to use those trials as a platform for us to reveal His goodness, grace and victory so that others can be encouraged by what God is doing in our lives. God can take our greatest misery and use it to become our greatest ministry to others who may be facing the same challenges we are facing. So remember, He is our God and loves you!

By the way, I love you as well.

 

Todays Thought - Philippians 4:13

Todays Thought

Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength"

Have you ever had one of those days when it seemed like everything you did was wrong? I know what your thinking, everyday something seems to go wrong.

Paul, the Apostle, wrote the above scripture while sitting in a prison cell. If anyone deserved to feel defeated and discouraged in life, it should have been the Apostle Paul. However, he learned the importance of keeping things in perspective and learning to completely rely upon God’s strength regardless of the circumstances. That's a hard lesson to learn and apply when life seems content on beating us down.

As we strive to make a difference with our lives there will always be people, situations and circumstances that can zap us from our spiritual strength and energy. In fact, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all of life’s challenges and hardships. However, the same spiritual strength the Apostle Paul experienced in his life is available to us. Where does this strength come from? The answer, “through Christ.” It is in Christ that we find the strength we need to do “everything” we need to get done in life. Fix your thoughts on Christ today and move forward with confidence that “through Christ” you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

You are Loved!