Day 8: Gentleness

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phillipians 4-7

Reflection

There are a couple of definitions around gentleness. One is the one we know, this quality of being kind and tender and mild-mannered, which is a lot of people we know. There's a second definition that I loved, which is that gentleness is a softness of action. It's a lightness. It's an effect of being inactive. As some of our mothers would say, to surrender. Sometimes you're grappling, you're muscling through, you're thinking of scenarios, you’re trying to see around the corner.

Stop muscling through and just open your arms and just be still. Just be still and wait, wait on them. That is the gentleness of spirit that is required for strength.

It is required for strength to go easy. It is required to be deliberate, to have a soft touch with your feet on the earth, to kiss the earth with your feet.

We cannot continue to muscle through and live. Gentleness is just such a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Fruit of the Spirit. I thank God for it. I thank God for this command not to muscle through. To surrender to our children and draw near and to say that we love them. To surrender to our marriage and say you don't know. To surrender to work and ask for help. To surrender to your own ambition. Even when all the world is watching you, even when you got your uniform on, even when you're in official capacities, sometimes you just have to surrender.

Prayer

Father God, we ask that we would have a heart of surrender and repentance. God, we would ask that you would just give us a spirit of gentleness and meekness God, that is a part of wisdom in making decisions in our lives. God, that we would just step back and let you guide us this time instead of getting ourselves in the mess. God that you would just guide us and just speak to our hearts God.

One thing about gentleness, is to become teachable.

That even as we walk today, that we become teachable through nature God, through your Word, through song today, through coworkers, through whatever avenue that you want to teach us today God. These things we ask in Jesus name, thank God, Amen.

Walking Assignment

Walk to a place that brings you life, that brings you joy. Might be to a river, it might be to a park, it might be a place where you can take a rest, it might be the spa. Take yourself on a date today. Get a manicure or a pedicure. As you walk, know that you are just so beautifully and wonderfully made. If you're feeling extra ambitious today and you want to just hold onto this spirit, don't. Just promise yourself that you're going to do it every single day. Take time to make space for yourself. Relax, relax into it.