From:
Date: November 23, 2020
Subject: It's November 23; Good Morning Union

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“Accept my teachings and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives.”      Matthew 11:29

 

“Nothing is so strong as true gentleness. Nothing is so gentle as true strength,” says Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Have you ever seen gentleness de-escalate a tense situation? If so, maybe you were the source of that gentleness.

 

The Bible tells us that a gentle answer can calm a person’s anger (Proverbs 15:1). Gentleness almost always contributes to contentment as well as peace. Throughout His life, Jesus showed us by His example the power of gentleness. See in Matthew 11:29 the way He described Himself:

 

And consider His gentleness with a woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were ready to stone her in accordance with Jewish law. Then Jesus made this simple statement: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7. When no one did, when each one walked away, Jesus was alone with the woman. To her He said simply, “Go and sin no more.” John 8:11.

 

Choose gentleness today. Refrain from judging others. Treat the people you encounter the way you would like them to treat you, the gentle way your Good Shepherd treats you. Psalm 23 is perhaps the most beautiful expression of Jesus’ gentle ways with us:

 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me

beside quiet waters,

He refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

Have a great, gentle, and successful second day of exams. I’ll be praying for you.

Pastor Rich

 

Quote for the day:      “Loving people doesn’t require that we accept everything they do. It simple requires that we see people as God sees them—loved, valuable, and redeemable—and then treat them that way.”

PS        Thanks to everyone who packed an Operation Christmas Child box. We collected 137 of them this year. That’s 137 children somewhere in the world who will have some added joy this Christmas because of you.

PPS      Don’t forget to pick up your pen pal letter from the kids on Chuuk. They are on the table in Campus Ministries.