Evident Gentleness Philippians 4:5

Philippians 4:5 (NIV)
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

In Philippians 4:4 we were encouraged to ‘rejoice in the Lord’. The Apostle Paul connects that idea with being gentle in verse 5. When we are truly rejoicing in the Lord, gentleness will be a result. It is hard to be selfish and rude when you are experiencing the full and abundant, now and forever life that Jesus has given us.

We see the gentleness that Paul is talking about modeled in the life and ministry of Jesus. He cares for the lost, the broken, the sick. He sees them, and extends the Kingdom to them and shows them how to enter. He is the picture of gentleness in a broken world. I love how Jesus connects rejoicing with gentleness in this verse from the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:5 (NIV)
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are the meek could be translated as “gentle are the joy filled”. So, what does gentleness look like in practical ways?

How Do You Treat People?

How do you treat people? Are they simply part of the scenery and machinery of your life or do you see them as people that God loves extravagantly? In your mind, are these people there just to make your life work? If there is a problem, or things seem to take too long, do you take your frustration out on these people? How about the people you work with? Do you take time to get to know them at all? How about the people in your inner circle? Is your relationship with them about you or about them? One of the best ways to answer that question is to take a pulse of your frustration level. If you are frustrated with the people around you, your relationships are more about you than them. When you feel yourself getting frustrated, take a deep breath and refocus. It is not all about you. Let your gentleness be evident to all because the Lord is near.

Here is a verse to meditate on about how we should treat people:

Romans 12:9-10 (NIV)
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

How do You Handle What You Know (or think you know)?

Are you teachable or do you think you have everything pretty much figured out? Do you have an opinion about almost everything that you feel the need to interject all the time? Do you think it is important to always prove yourself right? Do you ever stop and consider that you might be wrong? Do you ever think about what is more important, proving that you are right, or trying to see where the other person is coming from? Can you walk hand in hand with someone even if you don’t see eye to eye? Can you agree to disagree and still maintain relationship?

Here is a verse to meditate on about how we should be relating with people:

Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Steve Lawes is the founder of the Online Bible Institute and Pastor of Keys Vineyard Church.