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Gentle Patience
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Gentle Patience
The name of this story combines the two very sweet words, gentle and patience. Neither come naturally for most of us.
I have heard music describe Jesus as our Gentle Savior. He loves us and waits patiently for us to accept that love.
My favorite story about gentleness describes assisting the birth of lambs. A woman described her childhood on a farm. She said that occasionally a mother lamb carried twins. Sometimes, while being born, those twins would get tangled up. She said that since her hands were small, she was asked to gently reach inside and untangle those babies. Her father gave directions and guided her hands. As she described this, I could imagine how very gentle she had to be. She was reaching inside a mother giving birth. She had to be careful not to do damage.
She said that helping people find God is just like that. She said that God is always calling people to his love. We are occasionally asked to help. Like the twins, people get tangled up and put up barriers to God. We have to gently reach people and help untangle the struggles of their lives. Our Heavenly Father gives directions and guides our hands. We have to be very gentle or we will do damage.
People often say not to pray for patience because you will be given trials and tribulations. Our savior is gentle and he will always untangle our lives in the best way possible. We do not have to be afraid to pray for anything we need. We are asked to be gentle and patient and if we struggle, we go to God for help.
“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12 (from New International Version)
I met Ellymay at a Campground. I liked her immediately. She reminded me of the words Gentle Patience. It was 10:00 P. M. and she was on her way to her camper to have her nightly Bible Study with her husband. Love for Christ and her husband radiated through her.
She is 67 years old. She has been married 49 years and has 3 children. She is the pastor of a small church and her husband is the assistant pastor.
Ellymay accepted Christ at age 30. She said that many things came together all at one time and made it clear that Christ was the only solution. She met and fell in love with Jesus Christ.
Her marriage was troubled. Her husband was an alcoholic. She was a new creature in Christ but her family situation remained the same.
She made a decision that she was going to model the love of Christ to her husband. To model the love of Christ, she had to get out of the way and let Christ live through her. She was very aware that her behavior could hurt her ministry to her husband.
“We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left.” 2 Corinthians 6:3-7(from New International Version)
She decided not to nag because Christ does not nag.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 (from New International Version)
She continued to love him because Christ continued to love him. The more difficult he was, the more she loved him.
"But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:44-45 (from New International Version)
She stayed with him because she had made a vow before God to stay committed. She continued to serve him as his wife because Christ died for us while we were yet sinners.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 KJV
She focused on her spiritual relationship and spent daily time with God. She grew active in her church and the love of Christ continued to grow in her.
It took her husband 17 years, but he finally accepted Christ as his Savior. He put the alcohol down and has never had another drink. Their house is filled with love. They are ministers together in a community that struggles with many of the same issues they struggled with.
I asked about her children. Her husband was 47 when he accepted Christ. That means her children grew up in a home that showed them both sides of life. Naturally, they had to choose.
She said her two daughters are Christians and have successful homes and careers. She said one of her daughters is a guest speaker for congregations regarding the power of God in her life.
She is concerned about her son. Join her in praying for him. He is 48. That is only a year older than his father was when he became Christian and turned his life around. She longs for her son to find God.
She talked about mentoring young women that are in her same situation. She believes that the problem many young women have is that they give up too soon on their husbands. She says that Christ never gives up on us. She says they need patience.
She also says that women try to step in and fix their husbands or their marriages themselves.
She said if they will simply model Jesus Christ and focus on their own personal growth, their husbands will be attracted to the light they put off.
Are you worried about someone in your life? Follow Ellymay’s lead and stop trying to fix them or the situation.
Focus on loving them. Work on your relationship with Christ and allow Christ to shine through you. It is so much easier to stop being god and to allow God to be God.
The human side complains, begs, nags, runs, and/or whines when there is a problem. No one is attracted to that and it does not help the situation. We are all human. We look at the wrongs in our lives and feel very justified in our humanness.
The problem is, while our intentions may be good, we only do more damage. We hurt our ministry and we do not get what we want.
It is impossible to be Christ-like without a close relationship with Christ. Without Christ working through us, we find ourselves doing the very thing we know we should not do. It takes all of our energy just to focus on fixing ourselves and letting Christ be the center of our lives. We will not have time to try to fix anyone else.
“When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” Romans 7:21 (from New International Version)
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
(from New International Version) Romans 7:15
The closer we get to God, the more our human side will disappear. We become One with the Father by letting the love of Jesus Christ permeate our being. Through that Oneness, the Holy Spirit takes control of our actions and our words.
By becoming One with the Father, His light shines through us. Everyone is attracted to the Light of The Father. Be a shining beacon for the Light of the Father’s Love.
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" John 8:12 (from New International Version)
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