Blessed Are The Gentle

     Gentleness shows others Jesus. It is not an attribute that is valued in our society, but as Christians we are called to gentleness. When I think of great examples of gentleness in my life, a couple people come to mind, one of which is Mrs. Beth Gipson. Keith and I were blessed to serve with John and Beth Gipson during our time in Little Rock. John and Beth faithfully served the church there for over 50 years. Beth was a great example of a minister’s wife. She was kind, gentle and so supportive of John. She and John have blessed our lives so much through their amazing example and support. Her gentle spirit was “evident to all”.  

     Mrs. Beth passed away recently and Keith read this poem at her service, because it reminded us of her sweet, gentle spirit.

“Blessed are the gentle

For they shall inherit a world of thankfulness.

Majestic and gracious,

They shall command with all the loveliness of wisdom.

Considerate and grounded,

They shall judge with mercy and compassion.

Unassuming yet knowing,

They shall steer away from evil and wrongdoing.

Watchful and unfaltering,

They shall bear the weight of responsibility.

Blessed are the gentle,

And blessed are all who receive from them.”

     As ministers’ wives we see lots of tough situations and can face criticism even when we are trying our very best to love and serve our church families. This can be so discouraging and frustrating. Our natural human response to this frustration is not usually gentleness! While we can’t control others, we can choose gentleness. We can choose to act and respond with gentleness even when it isn’t easy, because it is what Jesus calls us to. We can show the world and our church families Jesus through our gentleness.

     What would the world look like if gentleness was a valued attribute? What would the church look like if we all exemplified gentleness the way that Christ has called us to? How would our day-to-day interactions look different if we were all more gentle?

     Paul writes in Philippians 4:5, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.”Seven simple words- easy to read, much harder to live out. Choosing gentleness isn’t easy.  It takes great strength and self-discipline. Remembering Jesus’s example can give us comfort and courage, and praying can give us the strength we need. May we, as ministers’ wives, show the gentleness and humility of Christ to those around us. Others may find inspiration in our example, just as I have found inspiration in Mrs. Beth’s.

Let’s "let our gentleness be evident to all"…

Lindsey Harris

Lewisville, TX