Philippians 4:5
5 Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon.
When things get tough, it also seems easy to become agitated and annoyed. We should not be taking this out on others. We can’t really have joy and be frustrated at the same time. It just doesn’t make sense.
In this verse Paul tells the people that they should live in kindness and gentleness. This is a way of expressing joy. If we have joy in God then we know he has things under control and we know we can go to Him when we are struggling.
For the Christians at the time, they were eagerly awaiting Jesus to come again soon. If we are eagerly waiting for God to shape us and change our circumstances, we naturally have joy too and because of this we can be kind and gentle to those around us. Just as God is with us.
Joy and frustration don’t go together.
Prayer: God, help me as I go through my tough times (name it – exams? family? depression?) to see you and to be ready to see you work in my life. Help me to express my joy in you by being gentle and kind to those around me even when things are going rough… Amen.
Challenge: Find ways to be gentle and kind today. How can you show kindness to someone today? Maybe it’s as easy as praying for them before an exam.
