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Putting All The Pieces Together


Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5) 

          This verse is right in the middle of some well-known and well-loved verses. It seems sometimes that this is how we read them:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
        These verses follow a passage in which Paul asks a "fellow yokesman" to help two women who weren't getting along to get along. They seem to provide wisdom in how to get along and to be at peace. If I were to write it as a formula, it would look like this:
          Rejoice in Him
+       Let your gentleness be evident to all
+       Remember that God is near (omnipresent)
+       Don't be anxious but pray (petition, give thanks)
The peace of God...will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
          25+25+25+25=100, but if you leave out any number, you only get 75. In school, that would be the difference between an A+ and a solid C. I'm not suggesting that we are graded. I am suggesting that if our gentleness is part of what brings about the peace of God in our lives, we should remember to include it.
          Being gentle isn't easy. It goes against our impulses. So does rejoicing in Him instead of in our circumstances, remembering that God is near even when we feel like He's far away, and being anxious for nothing. I need to work on all of them.

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Birthday of
Library of Congress (1800)

 

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