Gentle To All

Gentle To All by Kirk Hunt

And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth

2 Timothy 2:24-25 NKJV
Please also read 2 Timothy 2:23-26

Gentle to all.” Somewhere along the way, Christians forgot, or decided to ignore, this commandment in Scripture. Too often, God’s people are the brawlers and persecutors. When did we decide that a brutal approach is the best way to win people to Jesus?

Gentle is defined as ”free from harshness, sternness, or violence.” A gentle man or woman may be the strongest and toughest soul in the room. It is a matter of keeping your great strength under skillful control.

No one was more persecuted than the 1st Century saints. Crucifixion, burning alive, fed to lions and worst were inflicted on early Christians. For all their brutality, the Roman persecutors were converted to faith in Christ.

In contrast, the various Catholic Inquisitions, especially the Spanish Inquisition, served only to give Catholicism a notorious and negative reputation. Centuries later, the damage lingers. The brutal approach of the Inquisition generated terror, but no converts.

God’s Kingdom has never been advanced by thugs and brutes. The Kingdom of God has always been grown by men and women who invest their blood, sweat and tears in their God-given calling. A calling they pursue with strength, gentleness and holy means.

Think: It takes real strength to be gentle.

Pray: “Lord, help me to be gentle as I work to build Your Kingdom.”

Copyright © June 2021, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is brought to you courtesy of CadreMen Press. You can purchase a copy of Blessed and Blessing: Devotionals For Gospel Champions from your favorite bookseller or directly from CadreMen Press.