Humble, Gentle, Patient
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)
We can’t turn on and off humility and gentleness as we do a water spigot. We shouldn’t choose to be humble one day and haughty the next. In other words, we can’t come across as if we know it all.
Gentleness should be worn every day. Once we ask Jesus into our hearts, we belong to God at all times. We are to model Him before those in our lives. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12 (NIV)
When we feel ourselves getting worked up over an issue, we have to ask ourselves if God would be angry over the situation. If He would, then we should carefully conduct ourselves according to His instruction and guidance. If He wouldn’t, then we need to give our feelings over to Jesus and let Him take it before the heavenly Father.
When we exercise patience, we tell those around us that we still love them-in spite of the circumstances.
I recently had to apply these principles to my heart.
A Humbling Thought
Sunday, March 13,2011, as I was getting ready for church, my mind kept focusing on the items I had that the people in the northern part of Japan no longer had.
Things like hot water, water coming from a faucet, clean drinking water, electricity, heat, food, clean clothes, transportation, and housing came to mind. Items we usually take for granted or don’t even think about.
The next day, I thought of hair brushes, toothbrushes, drinking glasses, plates, silverware, blankets, telephones, cell phones, computers, grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, and newspapers.
Several years ago I wrote about how blessed we were if we had the basics. At that time I made a replica of a solar cooking stove to as a visual aid for a mission project for Haiti. The women there cooked on a small structure made from cardboard and covered with aluminum foil.
As people living in the 21Century, we have to be more mindful of the basic items needed for living. Our church participated in putting together hygiene kits for the arm of our denomination that reaches out to those in disaster-torn areas. Most of us may never have to go through something like the earthquake, tsunami, and the nuclear catastrophe but we should have the tenderness of heart to find a way to help, in a small way, to alleviate the need. Our community gathered at our church for a Chicken Noodle dinner and a concert on the late afternoon and evening of Palm Sunday with the proceeds going to help alleviate the needs in Japan.
Pride, Disgrace, vs. Humility, Wisdom
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2 (NIV)
We humans have a condition that gets us into trouble quicker than we ever think. The condition is called pride. The symptoms are inflated ego, ‘I’ problems, and an enlarged sense of self-importance.
A person sins and when he or she is confronted by godly superiors, that person says he or she didn’t do anything wrong. Or a person gets caught, receives guidance to pursue counseling, but states he or she hasn’t done one thing wrong. Both of these scenarios are examples of pride. Prideful people eventually get into trouble with other people and with the Lord.
God honors humility, the quality that allows believers to put others before themselves, He grants us wisdom as we learn who we are in the scheme of things.
When God asked Solomon what his wish was for, it wasn’t riches, long life or death of his enemies, Solomon responded by asking “for a wise and discerning heart . . . and to distinguish from right and wrong.” “I will give you a wise and discerning heart so there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” “Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for-both riches and honor-so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 1 Kings 3:9-13 (NIV)
Solomon forgot his part of the covenant, he forgot to obey God. But he still had wisdom, after he humbled himself.
As we mature in the Lord, we learn we don’t have to lose our tempers when things go wrong. We find we can reason issues out with those who have caused us concern. I’m thankful that I am still teachable about the ways of God and how He wants me to conduct myself.
Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.