Power and Gentleness

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. 21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”             Matthew 12:20-21  NIV

   Part of what drew people to Christ was his combination of power and gentleness.  Many people with power take advantage of people, but Christ did not manipulate people or seek to control them in any way.  Christ used his power to serve.  He also maintained self-control with the religious leaders who were constantly seeking to trip him up. This gentleness and self-control was possible because Christ was confident in the Father and his good work.  This gave Christ the power to be gentle with hurting people and maintain self-control with difficult people.

   This week, set aside some time to consider the people and situations in your life.  Is there someone in your neighborhood or workplace who could use some gentleness?  Is there a difficult person who is making it necessary for you to have more self-control?  Is there a difficult situation that is tempting you act outside of God’s ways?  As people or situations come to mind, pray for them and ask the Holy Spirit to produce his fruit of gentleness and self-control in you.  Also, ask the Spirit if there is any specific action step you need to take with these people or in these situations.   Trust his guidance and his work in your life.

Boldness and Respect

They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.      Daniel 3:28  NIV

   Trusting God in a culture that is opposed to, and even hostile toward, your faith and values is a recurring theme in the book of Daniel.  Daniel and his friends are faced with choices to glorify God in the face of opposition or to deny God’s sovereignty in order to maintain their own comfort.
 

   The Apostle Paul said that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. There are certainly times it is wise to be quiet and there is no need to create controversy.  But there are also times when we must speak up with confidence and hope in God, regardless of the risk to our personal comfort.
 

    In what situations do you find it difficult to stand up for God and his truth?  Have you prayed about these challenges and opportunities?  Have you asked God for boldness to stand up for him?  It could be as simple as not laughing at dirty jokes at work or it could be much more involved, such as learning to defend a specific  aspect of God’s truth with gentleness and respect.  This week, take two steps to increase your willingness to stand up for God.
 

   1.  Write out and think about 1 Peter 3:13-16.  Think about what it means to be ready to give an answer with gentleness and respect.
 

   2.  Ask God to show you where you have been afraid to stand up for him and then ask him to give you grace to be confident and courageous in these areas in the future.