TEN DAYS OF PRAYER DAY 8 READINGS But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . gentleness.—Gal. 5:22, 23 You are to represent Christ in His meekness and gentleness and love. True gentleness is a gem of great value in the sight of God (My Life Today, p. 53). Ellen White on Gentleness If we have Christ abiding with us, we shall be Christians at home as well as abroad. He who is a Christian will have kind words for his relatives and associates. He will be kind, courteous, loving, sympathetic, and will be educating himself for an abode with the family above. If he is a member of the royal family, he will represent the kingdom to which he is going. He will speak with gentleness to his children, for he will realize that they, too, are heirs of God, members of the heavenly court. Among the children of God no spirit of harshness dwells; for “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” The spirit that is cherished in the home is the spirit that will be manifested in the church (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 75). No member of the family can enclose himself within himself, where other members of the family shall not feel his influence and spirit. The very expression of the countenance has an influence for good or evil. His spirit, his words, his actions, his attitude toward others, are unmistakable. . . . If he is filled with the love of Christ, he will manifest courtesy, kindness, tender regard for the feelings of others, and will communicate to his associates, by his acts of love, a tender, grateful, happy feeling. It will be made manifest that he is living for Jesus. . . . He will be able to say to the Lord, “Thy gentleness hath made me great” (My Life Today, p. 53). Oh, we must educate the soul to be pitiful, gentle, tender, full of forgiveness and compassion. While we lay aside all vanity, all foolish talking, jesting, and joking, we are not to become cold, unsympathetic, and unsocial. The Spirit of the Lord is to rest upon you until you shall be like a fragrant flower from the garden of God. You are to keep talking of the light, of Jesus, the Sun of righteousness, until you shall change from glory to glory, from character to character, going on from strength to strength, and reflecting more and more of the precious image of Jesus. When you do this, the Lord will write in the books of heaven, “Well done,” because you represent Jesus (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 75). 1. In what areas of life do you need to be more gentle? To what people could you show more gentleness? 2. Make a list of people to whom you could be more gentle and ask God to give you His gentleness so that Questions for Personal Reflection you may reflect Him to them. Praise Him in advance for the victory He is going to give you.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 05:30:53 +0000