Nougat 13

Have you had a moment when, looking in your wardrobe, you can’t quite determine what you’ll wear, then when you decide what to wear, the entire outfit comes together? I tell you, it’s a great feeling. Of course, when our dress is haute couture and divinely crafted, we don’t have to wonder what to wear, for all the pieces are to be worn together. Just look at the reflection in God’s mirror and notice how much we’re beginning to reflect God – we’ll find we want to wear the pieces together. More about the Designer wardrobe in Today’s Holy Nougat

Colossians 3:12 NLT

[12] Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Gentleness, Not Gently-Worn Wear

Now don’t mishear me … there’s nothing wrong with gently worn clothes. With the current state of landfills and us approaching the climate tipping point, sustainable is good. But this item of clothing called gentleness, which is also transliterated as meekness, has different origins.

HELPS Word-studies suggests that gentleness is actually talking about how we use the power accorded to us. Gentleness is power contained for good purposes, manifested mildly. It is, for example, the way we would treat something or someone that’s/who’s delicate or vulnerable. So, although we may have the power to move a baby from the bed to our arms, we are careful in lifting that child to prevent injury.

Self-Check

– When we look in the mirror at our Designer Wear, can we or others see Gentleness?

– How do we treat the vulnerable in our contexts?

– Is our use of power a force for good?

Application

At times, it’s not easy to be gentle with the vulnerable as some of them may develop protective layers. Or they’ve been hurt so often that they don’t trust anyone or anything. Thus, we can’t plan gentleness only as a response to others’ behaviour. It has to be a genuine ongoing aspect of our character, a permanent item in our spiritual wardrobe.

I don’t think it’s accidental that Paul indicates we should layer gentleness over humility. For it is when we know who we are in Christ that we’re able to respond to slights and triggers. The psalmist tells us, ‘a soft answer turns away wrath …’ and that’s the potential of gentleness. It deflects the anger and restores peace … of spirit and mind, sometimes of the body.

Assignment

Resolve to prayerfully assist the vulnerable in your midst

Try to use soft words to turn wrath away ..

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May all we seek be found in Christ