Reading… and Thinking

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand!

— Philippians 4:5 (NKJV)

The world says, “Nice guys finish last.” The world rewards un-gentleness in salespeople and business executives and political leaders. Gentleness is often (though not always) mistaken for weakness, and treated with contempt by the world. And as a result, the world gets lawsuits and labor disputes, divorces and ulcers, wars and confrontations of all kinds.

The Lord says that gentleness is the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) Gentleness doesn’t mean timidity. We’re told to be forthright about what is right and wrong, to proclaim the gospel even in the face of persecution. But Paul says we must correct our opponents with gentleness. (2 Timothy 2:25) Peter tells us not to be intimidated by threats or actual persecution, and to be ready to defend our hope, but with gentleness. (1 Peter 3:14-16)

So, we don’t back away, we don’t back down, we are forthright in speaking up for truth and right. But we’re gentle. It’s all in the way we do it.

Our objective, after all, isn’t to win arguments – it’s to win people. Beating someone down doesn’t contribute to the objective! In the world, the monetary and political rewards seem to go to the aggressive. But it’s the gentle who are beloved. It is they who will inherit the earth. And it won’t be too long: “The Lord is at hand!”