“Your adornment should not be an external one: braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or dressing in fine clothes, but rather the hidden character of the heart, expressed in the imperishable beauty of a gentle and calm disposition, which is precious in the sight of God.” 1 Peter 3:3-4
Jesus’ compassion coincides with his gentle demeanor. In my journal one year ago, I wrote,
“Jesus, you are so gentle with me. I desire to be gentle and ask that you help me to be gentle. My harshness is pushing away my husband and kids. Harshness is there when things aren’t going my way, when life is delayed or messy or not on my terms. I wish I had the strength to be gentle and I know that comes from you.”
God’s compassion is gentle. In His strength, He can be gentle every time I turn to Him. God looks at me in love. He’s not annoyed of my asking. He helps and guides with loving tenderness.
In Luke 14:1-5, Jesus went to eat dinner in a home of the leader of the Pharisees. Jesus’ attention is drawn to a man whose arms and legs are swollen with dropsy. Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away.
Oh my Jesus, I imagine you looking at this man in the eyes, understanding his pain, his hopelessness…you see him, not the fact that he’s interrupting the dinner or conversation. You take your time and look him in the eyes with your gentle, kind face. You put your hand on his shoulder, and he’s healed. What joy you must have had in connecting with this man and healing his suffering soul. What peace and love this man must have felt to know God saw him and healed him.
Jesus, I feel you looking in my eyes and gently asking, “my child, why are you in such a hurry?” Help me to slow down today and be present to my family. Please give me strength to be gentle and compassionate toward the people you put in my path today. Amen.
My Heart, My Home 