Hello again, Dear Sister in Christ,
Whenever I read passages in Scripture that contain the word, gentle, I smile. Just listen to Paul: …walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.
I perceive “gentleness” as a friendly word, one that connotes lambs and clouds and breezes. I have always admired the gentleness of someone who is, by nature, soft-spoken. Every word from that person produces calm, affects the very atmosphere with tenderness. When given a choice—I prefer to be in the company of gentle people.
Gentleness seems to have lost favor with our culture. In the world of business, competition is aggressive. In the world of school, children are expected to express themselves, no matter how it hurts another. The worldview, according to television, presents family models that batter each other with insult and ridicule. And, I remember well, how a presidential candidate was verbally pummeled because he called for a gentler, kinder America.
But, Sister, as much as it is possible, let’s not allow a harsh world to dictate to us what deportment we should bear. We who are Children of the Most High God should always continue to represent Christ, who served as a paragon of spiritual strength when He was in the midst of Pharisees, soldiers and the enemy, being mocked, spat upon and tempted.
He did not stand back, either, to be a door mat for anyone, but presented His reply from the Scriptures. What an encouragement to memorize the Word of God, lock it up in our heart and be prepared to respond in and out of season! Let’s fill up our treasury with Scripture to be used, not abused. Let us know the Scriptures so that we may respond with gentleness, in all situations, even those that might be disturbing. Who knows if someone who is listening has been prepared by God for the salvation message?
Gentleness may be unpopular to the world that does not believe in Jesus as the only Savior, but let it not be so with you and me, dear sister! I am so glad that you and I have Jesus. He is gentle and lowly in heart, and He gives us rest for our souls— everywhere, everyday, eternally.
Love in our Gentle Jesus,
Mimi
Gentle Rains
My Dearest Sister,
I sat outside on my front porch the other day and watched as the rain fell softly upon the lawn. The rain fell so lightly that it sounded like the stroke of an artist’s brush upon their canvas. Closing my eyes for a moment to enjoy that sound, I felt the slightest breeze which then blew some of those rain drops my way. Instantly my face went from being dry to being wet with the rain. I smiled at the thought of it being so gentle, yet so effective at changing my dry thirsty skin to that of being quenched.
The Lord Jesus came to my mind and like the rain on my face, I was refreshed! I thought of the accounts in God’s word of His gentle touch to the hurting world in which He lived, especially to those in real need of compassion. Yet, how powerful his gentle spirit was! Sitting there pondering all of this my heart was filled with gratitude that I was to be able to think on these things, and yes even to the slightest degree begin to comprehend them! Without Him it would not be possible to do so!
What a simply amazing thing it is, dear sister of mine, that Jesus would leave His gentleness in the hearts and hands of those who follow Him, including me. His spirit living within us produces in us the supernatural power of gentleness! What a gift!
However, just as my spirit began to soar with this blessed truth my heart lurched with disappointment at the thought of how many times I have ignored this precious jewel within my breast. Even worse, how often I have covered it up with criticism and judgmentalism. “Ah, blessed forgiveness! Wash away my sins and set my heart aright dear Lord”, I prayed.
I did not want to leave the porch at that moment. I wanted to somehow be sure that the Truths I was so lovingly reminded of would not be forgotten. Forgotten in the mad rush of living! I wanted my heart to soak up this Living Truth within me, like my lawn soaked up the rain. He was gentle and so, I too, am called to lean upon Him and to be gentle. So I got up from that place of joy and contentment and moved off of the porch and back into my house where the clanging and demanding of life was on the other side of that door. The place where He has called me to walk in His Truth, to be gentle, so that those He has given to me will be refreshed by His Spirit living within me.
I write all this to you my sister that you too might be refreshed by our Lord Jesus and renewed in His strength to “let your gentleness be made known to all men.” May your heart absorb the loving Truth that His gentleness lives within you too.
Your Loving Sister,
Susan
Prince of Peace
Dearest Sister,
My hydrangeas are dying. I can see the outline of their brown petals through my sheer curtains as I type. I can also hear the squalling of my five-week old fighting to take a nap while Barrett’s pants, which she just soiled from a bodacious blow out, dry behind me. I have been in Okinawa, Japan for a little over five months now, and in that time, my Navy Chaplain husband and I had to buy cars, rent an apartment, find a church and make friends before he deployed three weeks later. We have had the remnant of the Japan tsunami encourage us to higher ground, a typhoon scream at our walls for hours, and weather so hot, breathing becomes optional. We also just had the joy (and pain) of having our first baby born in a new land with no family nearby to help with all the questions that follow. Now we are counting down the days to when my husband leaves again on deployment anywhere from two to five months. I will once again be alone without my family facing this new stage of motherhood and parenting alone.
I have also been reading the headlines of a crashing economy back home in the States, the unemployment rate rising, congressmen caught with their pants down, and Americans wondering why we have boots on the ground in Libya with no mission explained. I heard Benjamin Netanyahu state his case before congress to implement healthy borders for both Israel and Palestine, and have seen the deadly repercussions from a pastor burning the Quran in protest of Islam. There have been tornados, floods, and more tornados hitting the Midwest in record numbers leaving countless families with no homes or tangible memoirs.
How can there ever be peace? How can I have peace in the midst of my personal chaos? How will this world ever have peace in the Middle East? Is it possible?
Chaos and disagreements entered the world as soon as Adam and Eve took that infamous bite of forbidden fruit. Since then we have had wars in every generation with men giving their lives for what they hoped would ultimately end in peace…yet a new war always seems to rear its ugly head. It seems there is no hope for peace for us or this fallen world.
Yet the Bible gives us the history and record of a promised deliverer who would be the Prince of Peace for this cursed world. This Peace-giver came humbly in a stable in Bethlehem to a poor peasant girl and humble carpenter. The Good News dear sister of mine is that this Prince of Peace still comes today! The perfect God-Man who lived a perfect life and had peace with His Father, this Prince of Peace died on the cross to take away the curse resulting from the garden and rose again showing the world that the sin debt was paid has broken that curse for you and for me!
So, how does Jesus’ death and resurrection give me peace when I don’t have time to water my brown hydrangeas and have to wash Barrett’s pants again after Annabelle has another blow out? Putting my faith and trust in the Prince of Peace alone for my salvation means that I have peace with God. My sins, which deserve death, are forgiven and God counts me as perfectly righteous through Jesus Christ! This Prince of Peace gives me hope of the lion lying laying with the lamb, for no more war or rulers that fail in morality. This Prince of Peace gives me the joy of knowing heaven is in my future and that the closest to hell I will ever be is here. The peace you and I have with Christ is similar to the overall peace my precious daughter has despite fleeting moments of pain when tears shoot out of her eyes. Her life is characterized by peace because she has trust in her mom and dad’s love and care for her. Likewise, even in the midst of a world falling apart around us we have peace in knowing my heavenly Father loves and cares for us. If He loves you and I enough to send His son, the Prince of Peace, to die for us, how can we not trust He will watch over us? How can I not trust Him while my husband is deployed, my car breaks down, or when the storms flex our windows? Knowing the Prince of Peace makes such peace possible!
Peace of God
Dear Sister in Christ,
Do you know what it means to have the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding? Believer and unbeliever alike would love that kind of peace. It is a peace of mind and heart. It is a peace that frees the soul from pressures of the workplace, the noise of the streets, the worries of the home, and the fears of disaster.
It is only the peace of God which can provide such peace, the very same peace to which Paul alludes in Philippians 4:7. This is a peace that defies explanation, even understanding (as the Apostle Paul said).
Think on this dear sister, Paul wrote his letter to the church in Philippi while in prison! How difficult it must have been for him to write about the peace of God while chained and guarded.
Yet, despite his circumstances, and, oftentimes, in persecution and hardship, Paul incessantly wrote about peace. In Romans 12:18, he exhorts us: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” In Galatians 5:22, Paul lists peace among the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.”
Certainly, Paul could speak about peace in any situation, because his understanding was grounded on God’s grace upon him. This same grace continues to benefit our walk with Christ whenever we read Paul’s writing to those of the faith. Paul’s life was not peaceful. However, he rejoiced always in the peace of God!
You and I are daughters of the King of Kings and should have no anxieties or troubling thoughts, because our God is the Heavenly Father, the Creator and Sustainer of life, and the source of all peace. As His children we ought to wallow in the peace of God. You might be asking, “But how?”
It is possible only through prayer. As Daughters of the King, we can ask anything of our Father. Jesus told us, “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8.
Are you burdened with thoughts today sister that are redundant, silly, irritating and even frightening? Fill your mind with the peace of God. Memorize as much Scripture as possible and pray them back to Abba. Then rest in His peace.
The peace of God is our only peace.
With Love and His peace,
Mimi
Peace
My Dear Sister,
May God’s peace fill your heart, guard your heart, yes, and even rule your heart!
As the pressures from the world, crowd in and threaten to rob you of any peace at all, I pray that the “One” thing which you need will be evident to you. Looking only unto Jesus, may the peace that passes all understanding flood your soul as the sun beams fill a room when the shades are drawn back. For His perfect peace is like no other peace that you might temporarily be appeased by. No, this peace cannot be contained; it cannot be shaken or disturbed when it floods your soul. This peace is an everlasting peace, a peace that cannot be held back, and one that endures.
So sister, Rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord always! Do not lose heart when peace seems impossible, when it seems that it will never come! Instead look up, think on Him and His ways. Be steadfast in your looking; indeed secure your mind upon Him. Do not lose heart I say again! Look Up!
“He keeps him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee. Because he Trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3
Rejoicing in His Peace!
Your sister,
Susan