Emulate His Gentleness
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2
In one of his Peanuts cartoon strips, Charles Schultz showed Lucy looking quizzically at Charlie Brown and blurting out, “The whole problem with you is that you are so huggable and so buggable.”
While I am not so huggable, I know I can be absolutely “buggable”. Just ask my family; they would tell you I say, “I’m sorry” and “thank you” way too much!
We can all be that way at times. So is everybody else in the church around us!
Sometimes that’s what makes family relationships a challenge— as well as friendships at times. It’s also a reason why people can have a hard time getting along in the church. The fact is that we all have our weaknesses and quirks that can make our relationships with others less than smooth.
Paul calls Christians in Ephesus to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” He knows that the only way this can be accomplished is to develop a spirit that exercises the patience, care, and gentleness of Christ. Yes, there are times when we must difficult conversations with people in love and seek to resolve difficulties. But there are lots of other times when we must graciously bear with one another. Paul uses a word here that means “to refuse to get bent out of shape or become angry and resentful.”
When we find that hard to do, it would be good for us to reflect on all the times our Savior has had to do the same for us.
Lord, You know there are times when we become irritated with others. Help us to be patient and kind and to treat others as You treat each of us. Thank You for Your grace. Amen.