Gentleness

What does it mean to be gentle?  To be honest we struggled to define gentleness, is it a demeanor?  Is it a degree of action?  Is it just like kindness?  We concluded that it is the way in which one behaves; rooted in positive intentions.  When we look at the story of Nabal and Abigail we see a woman filled with gentleness.

Nabal was approached by King David’s men who were asking for food in gratitude for keeping Nabal’s men safe.  Nabal replied harshly, and stated that he would not favor their request and that for him to do so would be absurd.  David became furious and threatened his own life if he failed to punish Nabal for this mistreatment.   Abigail heard of the news from a servant and acted immediately.  She gathered food and wine and went to David to beg for forgiveness for her husband’s actions in an attempt to save her family.  The next words she uttered showed respect for David, compassion for her husband and honor to God.  David accepted her apology and granted her request.  Her next actions further displayed the extent of her gentleness.  She returned home and found her husband feasting like a king.  He was high in spirits and very drunk.  Rather than chastising him there, she chose to act in gentleness.  Abigail waited until the next morning to tell Nabal what had happened.

What we can glean from the story of Nabal and Abigail is that gentleness requires compassion, kindness and humility.  Gentleness and the accompanying characteristic are not possible without a daily outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Gentleness reflects a transformed mind and attitude.  It is a consistent response that seeks a peaceful and positive solution to what is happening around you.  Gentleness is a powerful weapon in diffusing negative or difficult situations.

God uses gentleness in a powerful way to draw us to him.  God gave Nabal 10 days to repent for his sinful and foolish ways.  Nabal’s failure to do so caused his demise.  When we think of our own sinful ways it is comforting to see how God’s gentleness is always evident.  It is reflected in how He tailors our experiences to teach us.  God’s persistence in drawing us closer to Him and the versatility of his measures exhibits His gentleness.  Gentleness in our actions portrays the depth and extent of God’s endless love. 

To being wise,

Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Faithfulness

Trust, it’s something many of us struggle with.  Whether we like it or not we have to trust people all day, all the time.  If you were to ask people, many would say that trust is something to be earned.  In reality, we choose to trust others before they actually earn it. 

Now we know some may not agree with our statements above, but let us explain.

From the time we are born we trust our caretakers implicitly.  We are completely reliant on others; we are forced to trust because we are completely helpless.  As we grow we are taught by our caregivers who and what to trust in life.  And in this, lies the beginning of our choice to trust.  Going back to our previous statement, we trust people before they actually earn it.  That trust may be motivated by necessity; however it is a choice we have to make.  When we get into a cab, we trust that the driver is not going to kidnap us, murder us, etc.  Other times we choose to trust others in our personal relationships because we all have the need to be loved and accepted.  When you meet someone new and you think you could be friends, you choose to spend time with them trusting that they will be kind to you.  When you are dating someone past the third date mark, you choose to continue seeing them trusting that they will treat you well and there is potential in that relationship.  It is only when we choose to trust, that growth is possible in a relationship.  To maintain a relationship, the trust that is given must be reciprocated and that is how trust is earned.  We are sure you are well aware that trust can be broken.  That is why extramarital affairs are so painful.  They reveal a terrifying vulnerability; because trust has already been earned in that relationship and then it is broken.  In a situation where restoration is an option, the wronged individual must choose to trust again without any reassurance.  It is a leap of faith.

Trust requires faith.  Who better to use as an example of faithfulness than Daniel?  Daniel resolved to trust God wholeheartedly, confident that God would prove His faithfulness.  He had a keen understanding of God’s sovereignty and was committed mentally, spiritually and physically to preserving God’s presence in his life.  He did this by refraining from anything that would defile his mind or his body and upheld the law of God without fail.  As a result, the individuals of the satraps, could find no corruption in him or charge any offence in him without manipulation.  Daniel was so distinguished and exhibited such exceptional qualities among his peers, his colleagues had to devise a plan to defame his character.  Knowing that they would not be able to catch Daniel doing wrong, they created a law that put Daniel’s faithfulness to the test.  Because faithfulness leads to predictability, Daniel was convicted.

Faithfulness is not a guarantee against hardship.  Faithfulness enables God’s character and glory to be manifested within us.  Just like Daniel, if we choose to trust God, His faithfulness will, in turn, inspire our consistency and commitment to Him.  This is where the devil preys on us as Christians.  He knows that the more we lack faithfulness, the less we will mirror Christ.  It is only through our faithfulness that we receive and maintain God’s excellent spirit within us.

To being wise,

Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Goodness

What does it mean to be good?  Is it charity work? Is it helping the homeless and the needy?  Is it walking the neighbor’s dog?  Is it paying your bills on time and having good credit?  It is getting regular exercise and eating healthy?  Is it saying please and thank you?  These are all good things, but to be good is a very different thing indeed.

According to Jesus in Mark 10:17 – 27 none of the things mentioned above are indicators of goodness.  Only God is good and goodness can only come from Him.  In the story of the rich young ruler a wealthy young man comes to Jesus asking what he needs to do to gain everlasting life.  He boasts of all the “good” things he had already done.  Jesus tells this young man to give up his entire wealth to the poor and to follow Him.  The story ends with the rich young ruler leaving saddened by Jesus’ request.  We do not know if he heeded Jesus’ advice or not.  But the lesson Jesus is imparting is very clear.  Actions do not dictate goodness; rather, it is the motive behind the action.  In our society we have a prescribed list of actions that are deemed “good”.  Though these actions appear and are good, if the motive is self-serving then it negates the element of goodness.  What were the motives behind the rich young ruler’s actions?  He believed that:

1.       In doing good, he was good.

2.       In doing good, he expected to receive good in return. 

3.       In doing good, he earned a place in heaven.

Here is where he got it wrong.  He did not lie, kill, steal, commit adultery and he honored his parents.  These things were noble, but it did not make him good.  He believed that his goodness was determined by his good actions and this entitled him to good rewards.  Here is what he got the most wrong.  He believed that he could earn his way into heaven.  That power belongs to Jesus and no one else.  What is alarming about this story is that the rich young ruler attempted to be good without having a relationship with God.  This is why Jesus exposed his flaw in valuing earthly things over a personal relationship with Him.

We do this all the time.  We ask God for things in our life that we desire without bothering to maintain consistent and quality contact with Him daily.  When we do “good” things that make us “good” we believe we are entitled to the things we have asked Him for.  When we aren’t doing “good” things, we bear guilt.  These attitudes reveal self-reliance instead of God-dependence.  And that was Jesus’ point.

What are the things you must give up to follow God?  And are you willing to do it?

To being wise,

Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Kindness

Being truly kind is usually not convenient.  We are often tested with an opportunity to be kind at the busiest or most inopportune times in our lives.  If you heard about a classmate who was filing for bankruptcy, what would you do?  Would you go out of your way to do all that you could?  Would you do anything at all or would you gossip about it?  What about a church member?  If you heard that a church member was desperately in need of help with their children, would you offer your time or your resources?  What if you were driving through a dodgy part of town and saw someone being beat up and left for dead in the gutter?  Would you stop?  Would you get out of your car, put yourself in danger and help that person?  WHAT WOULD YOU DO?!

A certain lawyer asked Jesus “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”, in response, Jesus asked “What is written in the law and what is your reading of it?”, the lawyer replied “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus said “You answered rightly”, but the lawyer said “Who is my neighbor?”   It is here that Jesus begins to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan (please refer to Luke 10:30 – 36).

There are three things that stand out to us in this parable.  1) The kindness of the Samaritan, 2) the kindness of the innkeeper and 3) the charge that was left to us by Christ.

1)      The Samaritan.  The half-dead man was seen by three different men.  It is important to note that the man was a Jew and appeared to be dead, which according to the law deemed him unclean to touch.  A priest sees the man and assumes, without looking, that he is dead.  He crosses the road to pass the man by.  A Levite sees the man, looks him over and without close investigation, assumes he is dead and passes him by.  However, when a Samaritan sees the man, in spite of the danger, the difference of their ethnicities and his own limited resources, he stops.  The Samaritan stops, looks and investigates, he does what the victim’s own people would not do.  He had rationed out oil and wine for his journey and yet he used his provisions and camel to tend to the half-dead man’s wounds and transport him to safety. 

 

2)      The Innkeeper.  The Innkeeper shows another form of kindness.  The Samaritan leaves the half-dead man after one day and leaves two Denarii (roughly 28 days’ worth of money, think of it as 28 days of hotel fees or around $2800).  The Samaritan trusted the Innkeeper to care for the man until he returned and expected him to pay for any additional expenses.  This Innkeeper used all his resources, time and effort to heal this man.

 

3)      Our Charge.  Likewise, we are called to be Innkeepers.  Like the Innkeeper, Jesus has given us Denarii in the form of time, homes, money, talents, spiritual gifts, etc. to be used in service to others.  As the Samaritan brought the half-dead man to the Innkeeper, Jesus will present individuals in need at our doorstep.  Can we be trusted?  Will we use all of our resources to help?  Or will we be too inconvenienced or too preoccupied to stop, look and investigate.

 

When we live our lives filled with kindness, these acts draw the attention of others to the abnormality of the situation.  Kindness is not a normal human attribute, we are conditioned to pay only what we owe and give only what is required.  God does not operate that way, He gives us far more than we deserve.  His loving kindness bestowed upon us through endless grace is the source of our ability to be kind.  Kindness reveals the full countenance of God within us and imparts His favor.

To being wise,

Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Love

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.” 1 Corinthians 13:4 – 8 (ESV)


God is love. Let’s liken our hearts to a bank and God to the currency. To have anything in the bank you have to make a deposit. But if you have no income, you cannot make a withdrawal. In this case our income is the word of God and our daily experiences with Him. When that income is constant we have an abundance of resources.


How do we get that consistent flow of income?


A great example of someone exhibiting love in the Bible is David. David loved the Lord and he is described as a man after God’s own heart. David’s love for God was evident in his private talks with God, in his allegiance to God, in his desire to please God and in his testimonies. David had a lot of time on his hands as a shepherd and he chose to spend that time talking privately to God. You don’t have a private talk with just anyone; you talk privately with your closest friends and family. That is who God was to David, a close friend and a family member. As a shepherd David understood the role of leader and follower. He watched his sheep every day and saw their utter dependence on him. In the same manner David understood that God was his leader and creator and he followed as His creation. He understood that his intelligence was that of the sheep in comparison to the omniscience of God. He knew his place and surrendered to it. David’s testimony was concrete evidence that God was a living presence in his life. The book of Psalms is like David’s diary cataloguing one-on-one experiences that revealed God’s character and love towards him. These records built his faith and allowed him to be fearless. He was never bolder than when he told King Saul that he would fight Goliath when thousands of men before him feared to do so. When asked how he could do this, David spoke of how God used him to overcome difficulties in the past and knew that God would not forsake him in this. Because David had spent time with God, witnessed God in His fullness and knew his place with God his desire for God was nurtured. Through this passion and desire to please God, David was able to testify of God’s faithfulness, power and love. David was motivated by his desire to please God, God was his target. When you desire something it becomes your target to which all aspects of your life become focused to. That is why during the lowest point of David’s life, when he was sought a counterfeit love from Bathsheba, Nathan brought him back into focus and reminded him of his first love, God.


Regardless of the condition your life is in right now, God wants to abide with you. David is such a great illustration for us because we don’t have to be perfect to have an intimate relationship with God. Here are some things that we can take from David’s story:

1) Your time is coveted. The devil tries to make you so busy that God gets the leftovers. We must make God our target.

2) Know your place. You did not create heaven and earth in seven days, God did. Be the follower, let God lead.

3) Let Him in. In this day and age God is not popular. We know that God is knocking at our hearts, but we treat him like a door-to-door salesman. Open the door and make it your mission to know Him and watch your desire grow.

4) Be about it. Once you know Him you will be on fire to want to talk about Him. His light will shine so bright within you that people won’t help but see it.



To being wise,


Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa