Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (Philippians 4:5)

A Life Of Gentleness

Jesus was a man who was gentle among all men. It does not suggest that the Lord was never angry with men or did not express His wrath against the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees. The general demeanor of Jesus was a life characterized by a general soberness and an example of a controlled life. He was not ostentatious. There was no excess in the life of Jesus. He remarked to one disciple that He had nowhere to lay His head. The Lord did not own any land or carry a money bag. His life was a simple life of devotion to the work of His Father.

The model of Jesus’ life was what Paul encouraged the followers of Christ to emulate. In a simple and brief statement, the apostle exhorts his fellow Christians to be people of a gentle character and attitude. One of the traits of the Roman world was the extreme excesses many followed. There was little restraint in how they lived. For the Christian, life was about restraint. Their character was not governed by their appetites, tempers, or habits. The gentleness of character set them apart from the culture of excess.

It is not easy to be a people of restraint. Many temptations tug at the heart. To be like the world is an appealing part of life, enjoying all of the excesses life has to offer. Learning to be like Christ removes the desire to dress like the world, talk like the world, and act in the same fashion as the worldly-minded. Christians are set apart to be set apart. Letting the world see the gentle spirit is not done with pride. Living peacefully with all men as an example of self-control sets the Christian apart from the world.

Paul reminds the saints to let the world see their forbearance and gracious attitude. The life of the Christian should clearly be defined by moderation. A gentle spirit rules the heart. Everything about the Christian is modeled after the gentleness Jesus showed all men. He was temperate in His life to show others the Father. As people of God, Christians should let Christ shine through their gentleness. Others will notice this and take note. The religious leaders tried to find fault in the life of Jesus and could find nothing. That should be the goal of every Christian to live in such a way no charge can be brought against them.

Living peaceable lives is where blameless lives come from. Being reasonable in character moderates the heart from anger, hatred, malice, jealousy, and other sins. Being blameless is not sinlessness but letting others see a spirit of gentleness. That should be known to all men. Names define who we are, and when our name is spoken, it should reflect the character of being a person of virtue and honor. The world can tell by how we clothe ourselves outside and how we are clothed on the inside. When our neighbors judge our speech, they should see language seasoned with salt and the grace of the Lord. Our co-workers will know if we are children of God by the example of forbearance.

Evangelism involves many layers of talking with others about the gospel. One of the best ways of teaching lost souls of God’s saving grace is by letting the world see a life modeled after the peaceable character of Jesus. Letting our gentleness known to the world opens up vistas of opportunity to show what God has done in our lives to change us. Be gentle. Show Christ.