Reading from my devotional

"Living the Gentle Life"
Ps 73:23-24

As a disciple of Jesus Christ I am committed to live the "gentle" life. The words of the psalmist, "Thy gentleness makes me great" (Ps 18:35), are no idle remark. It is through gentleness that God develops strong saints. Jesus Christ made it clear in His Sermon on the Mount that gentleness was expected of His followers; hence, the other cheek, the second mile, and the coat as well as the shirt (Mt. 5:39-41). Jesus became the best example of His own teaching when He stood before Pilate, condemned by lies; yet He offered no resistance and submitted His case to God the Father.

Jesus teaches me that the gentle way is the way of victory. I am not to push, make exertions, be ambitious or aggressive. I must never resort to the sword or the fist to gain my ends; nor must I resort to legal undertaking, because I must be willing to suffer loss, if necessary, as Christ did. Naturally, I will be taken advantage of, as God's people have been in all ages. "For they sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter" (Rom. 8:36). Nevertheless, by being gentle I am actually pleading my case before God; by acting the way He wants I am placing the responsibility of my welfare on Him. He is able to help.

The gentle life is the most difficult to live because it is not natural. Further, we have been taught to "stand up for your rights," "assert yourself," "be your own person," until the gentle life seems almost like heresy. We Christians, like the world, are sometimes shameful in pulling strings, politicking, and using influence and other carnal ways to reach our goals. How can we be so unlike Him who "when he suffered, he made no threats" (1 Peter 2:23)? He was the true Gentleman, and He wants me to be like Him so that I can say, "Thy gentleness hath made me great" (Ps. 18:35). -W. Glyn Evans Daily with the King: 366 Daily Devotions (December 15)

Thought you might be encouraged; I know I was.

Serving Him,
Pastor Mike