A gentle and quiet spirit pleases the Lord...in fact, in I Peter 3:4 it says these attributes are precious to Him. How amazing to know what pleases the Lord!!
But what does this mean? That only the soft-spoken individual is captured in this statement? A spirit that is gentle and quiet can be a part of a boisterous and open personality - thankfully for me, as I'm not exactly soft when I speak!
So what does this mean?
Gentleness can be defined by a compassionate, patient and loving heart and is intrinsic to our relationships to those around us. We are told to 'let your gentleness be evident to all, the Lord your God is near." (Phil 4:5) This is an internal response to the needs of others around us that in turn allows them to see God's love through us.
A quiet spirit can be described as an internal state that reflects our relationship to the Lord.
A quiet spirit is listening... trusting... it isn't shaken by external situations...
In I Kings 19:11-13 Elijah goes to meet with God. There was a great and powerful wind, an earthquake and a fire. But God didn't show Himself in those things - instead He showed Himself in a still, small voice. It is amazing how often God uses the small and the insignificant to bring about His purposes! And it makes sense that He sees beauty in something the world wouldn't notice.
Honestly, in the world today, a gentle and quiet spirit seems weak. If we were asked to round out this description we would probably add the word 'timid', 'meek', or 'shy'. They seem to fit somehow.
Not God...going back to I Peter 3 He challenges our preconceptions by adding the word 'fearless'!
Now all of a sudden we see something incredibly different...gentle, quiet and fearless...it brings to mind a ninja! What a turn-around! God knows our heart, He knows what we are like inside. He values the things that are unseen because they show the substance of who we are. And the substance belongs to Christ.
So how do we cultivate this type of beauty in ourselves?
Consider the moments where you interact with others...is God's love evident in what you say and do?
Consider moments of stress or problems, are you trusting God through them?
Consider moments where you are afraid...do you push on, not letting fear control you?
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