What we need is more of the love of Jesus– Phil Ryken in Loving the Way Jesus Loves
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (meekness), self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23a ESV (KJV)
If the these nine qualities are fruit of Spirit, then Spirit must possess these nine qualities, including gentleness. The Spirit is gentle, like the Father and the Son.
And the gentle Spirit works in our lives to make us a gentle people in the image of our Triune God. The gentle Spirit works in our lives to make us gentle in situations where we otherwise couldn’t on our own. The Spirit works to replace our tendency towards harshness, loudness, and quarrelsomeness with a Spirit-led gentleness.
Where in your life do you need to see the Spirit work the fruit of gentleness?
In what ways are you opposing the Spirit’s work of gentleness in your life?
How do you need to better cooperate with the Spirit’s work of gentleness?
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
The Lost Spiritual Discipline – Tim Challies
Watchfulness is “a careful observing of our hearts and diligent looking to our ways, that they may be pleasing and acceptable unto God.”
Eight Ways to Become More Humble – Jane Tooher (GTF)
Thankfulness stops pride growing. We can thank people for things that they do and who they are, and that’s important and encouraging for them. But we’re to thank God for that person, for the way he has worked in them. Thankfulness is a sign of a believer.
Organic Food, Essential Oils, and the Gospel of Grace – Stacy Reaoch (DG)
When promoting our own choices for food and medicine is becoming the latest form of evangelism, we are showing where our hope really lies — and that we are close to forgetting the gospel we say we hold dear.
Your 7 Job Responsibilities as a Church Member – Jonathan Leeman (TGC)
Will you sit back and stay anonymous, doing little more than passively showing up for 75 minutes on Sundays? Or will you jump in with the hard and rewarding work of studying the gospel, building relationships, and making disciples? We need more hands for the harvest, so we hope you’ll join us in that work.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church!
To enjoy the love of God– Charles Spurgeon
He will not quarrel (strive, argue) or cry aloud (shout), nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised (battered) reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench. – Matthew 12:19-20a ESV (NKJV/CSB/others)
These words are a prophecy from Isaiah 42 that Jesus quotes in reference to himself. They show a contrast to gentleness, what gentleness is not.
Jesus does not quarrel (strive, argue, fight, brawl). He does not cry aloud (shout, yell, rant, scream). In other words, he is not a loud-mouth. All of this is the opposite of gentleness. When we are yelling or loud or quarreling with people, we are not being gentle.
But Jesus was gentle with people, and we are given two great pictures of his gentleness. First, a bruised or battered reed is easily broken, but Jesus is so gentle he doesn’t break it. Second, a smoldering wick is ready to go out, but Jesus carefully blows it back to life.
These pictures are about people. Jesus reached out to bruised, battered, and smoldering people with a gentle love that healed, restored, and revived. This gentle love gave new life to the hurting, weeping, sick, and oppressed. This gentle love gave forgiveness to the sinner.
More often than we think, the people around us are bruised, battered, smoldering, weary, tired, and fragile. We need to follow Jesus’ example and treat one another carefully, with great gentleness that builds up and gives life.
In what situations in your life do you need to rest in the gentle love of your Savior?
In what situations are you tempted to quarrel or yell?
In what specific ways can you treat others carefully this week to build up and give life?
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
What the Word of God Says About the Word of God, Book by Book – Jared Wilson (FTC)
What God says about his word is a deep, complex, and staggering thing. And each book of the written word testifies to the wonder of his revelation….
Poor Interpretation Lets Us “Believe” the Bible While Denying What It Actually Says – Randy Alcorn
Many so-called evangelicals affirm their belief in Scripture, while attributing meanings to biblical texts that in fact deny what Scripture really says. Hence they “believe every word of the Bible” while actually embracing (and teaching) beliefs that utterly contradict it.
How to Sabotage a Bible Study – Greg Morse as Wormwood (DG)
You seem to forget that we never fear a man just because he reads a Bible. Some of our most useful vermin, having dedicated their lives to it, are snuggly tenured in religious departments across the country. Remember, we do not mind the Bible hobbyist, the hypocrite, and the text-twister. All goes awry, however, when the humans understand the Enemy’s word, treasure it, believe it, obey it, and are led through it to him.
Sola Scriptura: A Scripture-Alone Life – Steve DeWitt
Scripture over us—authority. Under us—promises. In us—Bible intake. Through us—obedience and guidance. Sola Scriptura. Let’s be doctrinally right but let’s make sure right doctrine leads to right living.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church in God’s Word!
I saw the new heaven and earth, And there was no more sea
The Bride of Christ came down to earth, As the Holy City
Behold with man God now dwelling, Our tears He’ll wipe away
No more death, pain, or suffering, On this joyful new day!
Behold God will make new all things, These words are trustworthy
The water of life from the Spring, Given to the thirsty
The one who conquers will receive, A place in God’s fam’ly
Turn from your sin, in Christ believe, These gifts accept freely
To the tune of “We Sing the Greatness of Our God”
My hearing is gone, my smelling is gone, and my sight is going: my speech and feeling are almost gone; but the loving kindness of God is still the same, and will never depart from me.– Caspar Olevianus
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle (meek) and lowly (humble) in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
– Matthew 11:29 ESV (KJV/NASB)
Jesus tells us that he is not a harsh taskmaster. He is not a demanding tyrant. Rather he is gentle and lowly, providing our souls with rest.
If you think him a harsh taskmaster, then that is how you will treat others. But if we grasp that Jesus is gentle towards us – if we rest in his gentle heart, then we can learn from him and share his gentleness with those around us.
Do you think of Jesus as a harsh taskmaster or as a gentle rest-giver?
In what current situation do you need to come to Jesus to find rest for your soul?
In what relationship in your life do you need to share the gentleness of Jesus?
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
How to Improve Your Biblical Literacy – Scott Slayton
Strategizing to learn God’s word does take time. Finding a reading plan and working through how you will stick with it does take effort, but it is absolutely worth it. God’s word does not return void and time spent digging into God’s word is never wasted.
Joy Is for the Generous – Tim Challies
Their generosity brought joy. The free and willing sacrifice of their own wealth caused them to rejoice. Each one gave as he decided in his own heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. God loves that kind of cheerful giver and God’s people love to be that kind of cheerful giver. God granted and his people gained joy.
We are Not In Eden – Courtney Reissig
We are longing for something better and it’s coming. It’s just not here yet. Until then, we fix the brokenness with this world with temporary solutions, like a band-aid. Longing for the day when it’s all made new.
How You Might Break the Third Commandment in Church -Mike Leake
I’m ashamed to say that I broke this one in church the other day. You might be surprised by that. Why in the world would a preacher of the gospel be guilty of dropping one of the big “no-no” curse words? But that’s not how I broke it. I didn’t use God’s name in a string of expletives. I used it in a worship song.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!
Brian J. Mikul 