March 16: Insight Post by Kim Feld
Monday Insight Post
by Kim Feld
As I read through Philippians 4:4-5, I was caught by this phrase in verse 5: “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.” As I looked in other translations, I found multiple words used in place of considerate: reasonable, gracious, and gentle. Take a look at this verse in the Amplified version:
5Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near.
What would our world be like if everyone who claimed Christ as their Savior had a gentle spirit that expressed itself through graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience? I am reminded that I am not alone – the Lord is near, and He hears every word that comes out of my mouth, and even more frightening, He knows every thought that enters my mind.
These verses also remind me that I am to take delight in Jesus, and that this should always lead to rejoicing, even in my darkest moments. He has not, nor will He ever abandon me. I am not alone, and if you belong to Him, neither are you.
Every single day, you and I have tons of opportunities to be gentle, gracious, generous, merciful, patient, and tolerant of those around us. And every single instance gives us the choice of whether to do that or not. I have absolutely not mastered this. This post comes out of my own conviction that I am not always a good example of this. But the desire of my heart is to be like Jesus, and He is the epitome of all these things.
We can be known for what we hate or what we love. Our lives can draw people toward Jesus or add another brick to the wall separating them from Him. The stakes are high, and we have been entrusted with giving others a glimpse of our Savior.
So, here are a few things I’m thinking about today to help me on this journey:
- I will be available to help a friend, even when it’s inconvenient.
- I will let cars get in front of me in traffic, even when I want to push the gas.
- I will make time for someone who needs to talk, even when my schedule is tight.
- I will put down my phone and really focus on whoever is trying to talk with me.
- I will take a deep breath before I respond when I can feel my frustrations rising.
- I will choose to think the best when I’m tempted to think the worst.
I hope you will join me this week in finding ways to “Let your gentle spirit be known to all people.”
Kim Feld
Executive Director of Education and Outreach
New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org