The Power Of Gentleness

Today’s Word Of Encouragement From Wayne:

“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth”

2 Timothy 2:24-25

According to this wise word from the apostle Paul, “gentleness” is much better, for all involved, than being “quarrelsome.”

Paul was in prison when he wrote these words to Timothy. He knew his own life was drawing to a close. “ The time of my departure has come” Paul declared, adding, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6-7).

Paul had not always been gentle. Prior to his conversion, Paul was wrathful and had been persecuting the church of Christ. Of that earlier period in his life, Paul said, “this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons... but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them (Acts 26:10).

but now, at the end of his life, after being transformed into a new creation in Jesus Christ, having begun numerous churches, leading untold thousands to faith in Jesus, and giving us a significant portion of the books of the New Testament, Paul now saw and understood the wisdom of righteous “gentleness” as the way to effectively minister the gospel.

Being “kind” and “patient,” “with gentleness” - these are the qualities Paul was admonishing his junior minister in the faith, Timothy, to pursue and possess.

Why? It was all for this purpose, “if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.”

Yes, praise God, when we are “ministering as a priest the gospel of God” (Romans 15:16), as we have been seeing, we understand that the message and the nature of the messenger are both important if we are truly desiring to see people coming to know our Lord.

We have seen that Christ our Savior described Himself as being “gentle” (Matthew 11:29), so it makes perfect sense that “the Lord’s bond-servant” must also be gentle.

Simply put, if we want to see people receiving the reconciling truth of Christ, then this is best accomplished when the true message is ministered in the true Spirit of Christ.

Never underestimate God’s power of kindness, patience, and gentleness to transform your own life and then to be used, through you, so that God may “grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.”

As you minister to your Lord today, before His Own gentle presence, allow your new self to be influenced and changed to the better through His Own gentleness, and allow this sweet anointing to remain with you as you live your life this day.

Thank You Lord Jesus that You are so kind, patient, loving, and gentle with us. May we be empowered through You to be kind, patient, loving and gentle with others so they may come to joyfully know You as even as we do. Hallelujah!