Be Gentle And Show True Humility

BE GENTLE AND SHOW TRUE HUMILITY

a prayer to open

Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

May your Kingdom come, may your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

Being invited to a party is far different from being forced to attend a meeting with your boss. Both could be equally good in the end, but there is something powerful about having a choice. The gospel presents us with an invitation. Jesus never forced himself on us but instead invited us to see and experience him. If we turn around and offer this same invitation to others—to see and experience Jesus—we are following in the way of Jesus. On the other hand, if we threaten or use scare tactics, we alienate and close off opportunities for further conversation. Indeed, being pushy or coming across as self-righteous in our words and actions typically acts as a barrier to the gospel. This is why we must be humble and gentle, remembering where we came from and how Jesus met us there.

• What would sharing the gospel humbly and gently look like for you?
• When have you applied pressure or used fear in sharing Jesus’ invitation?
• Spend a few minutes remembering that you are in God’s loving presence, reflecting on how you might share the gospel gently and with humility.

Pray out of whatever surfaced in your time of reflection.