Jesus Teaches Me How to Be Gentle

In Matthew 11:28-29 I read, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (NIV)

Learning to be gentle is so important for a follower of Christ. Gentleness defuses conflict. It disarms critics. It’s persuasive. It’s attractive. It communicates love.

Most importantly, gentleness makes me more like Jesus. Matthew 11:28-29 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (NIV).

Does this mean that the stress and pressure I’m feeling in life are a cause of not being gentle? Yes. Because the Bible says that the more Christ-like I become, the more gentle I be and the more at rest I will be.

To be at peace and be like Jesus, doesn’t mean I can’t just walk out my door and force myself to be gentle. I can’t manufacture it, because inside I’m still going to be under stress. It’s got to be an “inside” job. It has to be the fruit of God’s Spirit inside me.

So whatever burden I’m carrying, there is an answer to my stress. Jesus wants me to take his yoke. This means he’s going to bear my burdens with me.

And when I let Jesus share my burden, I will walk with him in a close relationship. I will learn how to be gentler and humbler. He will exchange my stress and pressure for his rest and peace.

In summary, Jesus tells me when I’m weary and burdened, to come to him and he will give me rest. I’m to take his yoke and learn from Him. For He is gentle and humble in heart, and I will find rest. Learning to be gentle is so important. Gentleness defuses conflict. It disarms critics. It’s persuasive. It’s attractive. It communicates love. And gentleness makes me more like Jesus. Does this mean that the stress and pressure I’m feeling in life are a cause of not being gentle? Yes. Because the Bible says that the more Christ-like I become, the more gentle and at rest I’ll will be. To be at peace and be like Jesus doesn’t mean I can’t just walk out my door and force myself to be gentle. I can’t manufacture it, because inside I’m still going to be under stress. It’s got to be an “inside” job. It has to be the fruit of God’s Spirit within me. So whatever burden I’m carrying, there is an answer to my stress. Jesus wants me to take his yoke. This means he’s going to bear my burdens with me. And when I let Jesus share my burden, I will walk with him in a close relationship. I will learn how to be gentler and humbler. He will exchange my stress and pressure for his rest and peace.

A yoke helps reduce the load, as the load is shared. Jesus frees me from my burdens. The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the actual end of all labor. A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose. Jesus doesn't offer a life of luxurious ease. The yoke is still a tool for working hard. But it's a shared yoke, with weight falling on bigger shoulders than mine. Someone with more pulling power is up front helping. Suddenly I am participating in life's responsibilities with a great Partner.

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, doing well and making a difference in others lives (including my job.) I pray all these things through you Son Jesus’ name, Amen. 

My Habits Will Determine My Spiritual Growth

In 1 Corinthians 9:25 I read, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." (NIV)

I’ll grow when I develop good habits. This applies to every area of my life, including my spiritual growth. When I build good habits, I’m going to have good character. If I have good character, I’m going to have a great destiny. My character is the sum total of my habits.

The Bible says, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17 NIV).

I won’t get God’s blessing for knowing the right thing to do. Rather, I’ll get God’s blessing for doing the right thing and making it a habit in my life. I build habits, through repetition and practice. Study after study shows I have to do something, whether it’s exercise, diet, or a spiritual habit, every day for six weeks before it becomes a habit.

Doing only a few days of study and then skipping a day and then repeating the pattern over and over again is like rolling up a ball of string and dropping it. I keep undoing everything I’ve gained every time I miss a day.

I have to develop habits that I’ll use the rest of my life that will help me grow and be strong. Successful people are just normal people who decide to develop good habits that stay with them for the rest of their lives. I determine my habits, and my habits determine me.

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25 NIV).

The good habits I build in my spiritual life are going to pay off forever in eternity.

In summary, to compete requires strict training. In this life many do this for a prize that won’t last. I do it for a prize that will last forever. I’ll grow when I develop good habits. This applies to every area of my life, including my spiritual growth. When I build good habits, I’m going to have good character. If I have good character, I’m going to have a great destiny. My character ends up being the sum total of my habits. I won’t get God’s blessing for just knowing the right thing to do, rather, I’ll get God’s blessing for doing the right thing and making it a habit in my life. I build habits through repetition and practice. I have to do something every day for six weeks before it becomes a habit. Doing it only a few days and then skipping a day, is like rolling up a ball of string and dropping it. I need to develop habits that I’ll use the rest of my life, ones that will help me grow and be strong. Successful people are just normal people who decide to develop good habits that stay with them for the rest of their lives. The good habits I build in my spiritual life are going to pay off forever in eternity.

Self-discipline requires an honest look at my strengths and weaknesses, with emphasis on the latter. It means building the will to say no when a powerful appetite inside me screams yes. Self-discipline is a long, steady course in learning attitudes that do not come naturally, and channeling natural appetites toward God's purposes. What are my weak points? Pray for God's help to redirect weakness into strength.

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, and doing well and making a difference in my new job.  I pray all these things through you Son Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Gentleness Shows That I Love Jesus

In Titus 3:2 I read, “Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone." (GW)

My gentleness is a witness to unbelievers. They’re watching me to see if I’m any different when I’m under stress. When I respond to pressure with gentleness, it’s an incredible testimony to the world.

The Bible says in Titus 3:2, “Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone” (GW).

If I claim to be a follower of Jesus, I am not allowed to speak evil of anyone. I am not allowed to be quarrelsome. Instead, I must be gentle with and show courtesy to everyone. Does that mean even people of a different political party? Yes.

Others aren’t going to trust Jesus until they trust me. People usually don’t ask if the Bible is credible. They want to see that the life I live out according to it is credible. So, do I live with integrity? Am I gentle? Am I loving? Am I compassionate?

If others like what they see in me, they will listen to what I have to say.

Here’s the thing: If you obey Titus 3:2, I’ll be criticized by other Christians. They’re going to say I’m compromising. 

Treating others with respect does not mean I have to compromise what I believe. I have friends who don’t agree with me and friends who don’t believe what I believe. Because there’s something more important to focus on: Do they know Jesus?

A great verse to live by is 1 Peter 3:15: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (NIV).

In summary, as a believer, I shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome. I need to be gentle and show courtesy to everyone. My gentleness is a witness to unbelievers. They’re watching me to see if I’m any different when I’m under stress. When I respond to pressure with gentleness, it’s an incredible testimony. As a follower of Jesus, I am not allowed to speak evil of anyone. I am not allowed to be quarrelsome. Instead, I must be gentle with and show courtesy to everyone. Others aren’t going to trust Jesus until they trust me. People usually don’t ask if the Bible is credible. They want to see that the life I live out according to it is. So, do I live with integrity? Am I gentle? Am I loving? Am I compassionate? If others like what they see in me, they will listen to what I have to say. Treating others with respect does not mean I have to compromise what I believe. There’s something more important to focus on: Do they know Jesus? I should Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks about the reason for the hope that I have. When I do, do this with gentleness and respect.”

Humility in this life boils down to having an honest estimate of myself before God. I show pride when I inflate the value of my efforts or look down on others. True humility seeks to view my character and accomplishments honestly. 

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, and doing well and making a difference in my new job.  I pray all these things through you Son Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Choosing Gentleness, Not Defensiveness

In Proverbs 15:1 I read, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." (NIV)

We have a tendency to mimic the emotions of people across from us. The reason we do this is because of mirror neurons in our brains. They allow us to sympathize and also to mirror what other people feel.

For instance, if someone gets angry with me, I get angry back. If somebody is really sad and I hang around that person long enough, I’ll start to get sad.

In the same way, when others raise their voice against me, I’ll usually raise my voice back. Then they raise their voice higher. And I raise my voice higher. Then pretty soon it escalated, and my emotions were out of control.

But the Bible says I actually can choose how I respond: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1 NIV).

Here’s a little tip that can save me a lot of heartache and conflict: When others raise their voices, lower yours. When I do this in my marriage, in my parenting, in my friendships, and at work. That’s called strength under control.

Gentleness defuses conflict. It deescalates anger.

If your boss tears into me or someone I know raises his or her voice in anger, realize it may not have anything to do with me. Instead of getting defensive, practice gentleness. Let your gentle answer disarm the other person and defuse the situation.

In summary, a gentle answer on my part will turn away wrath, but a harsh word will only stir up anger. There is a tendency to mimic the emotions of people across from us. This is from mirror neurons in our brains. They allow us to sympathize and also to mirror what other people feel. So, if someone gets angry with me, I likely get angry back. When someone raises their voice against me, I’ll usually raise my voice back. Then they raise their voice higher. And I raise mine even higher. Soon it escalated, and my emotions were out of control. However, I actually can choose how I respond. When others raise their voices, I should lower mine. When I do this in my relationships its called strength under control. Gentleness will always defuse conflict and deescalates anger. If your boss tears into me or someone I know raises his or her voice in anger, realize it may not have anything to do with me. Instead of getting defensive, learn to practice gentleness. Let my gentle answer disarm the other person and defuse the situation.

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Father, you are teaching me that It is hard to argue with someone who insists on answering softly or gently. A rising voice and harsh words will almost always trigger an angry response. To turn away wrath and seek peace, you are instructing me to choose quiet and gentle words.

Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, and doing well and making a difference in my new job.  I pray all these things through you Son Jesus’ name, Amen.