The Lord is Near

Philippians 4:5  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Gentleness.  One definition says “not steep or sudden.”  This instruction comes right after the encouragement to rejoice always. 

  

Have you known, or have you been, a person who’s up and rejoicing one day when life is good and wearing a t-shirt that says the same, and then the next day this same person is on a steep decline to the pits because what she thought God was saying “yes” to, is now a definite “no?”  That’s a sudden change in a person's faith and their attitude of joy.

Of course, we are all disappointed when life hits us with disappointment, tragedy, and loss.  There are plenty of scriptures about grief and mourning.  But I don’t think that’s what Paul is referring to, here. 

What happens is that many of us base our relationship with God on how quickly he appears when we rub the magic genie of prayer, and a genie is not who He is.  He is not one to be conjured up at our command.

When we know the character of God and his awesome ways that are higher than ours, his loving hand that is always about working things for good, and his power to right all wrongs, there’s a joy that rises above the sorrow.

This does not mean we’re not sad for a time, or that we don’t cry our eyes out and feel as though our heart will burst when bad things happen.  But we won’t be on a steep decline to the pit, because we are grounded in Him – gentle – not prone to ups and downs in our faith.

This is what separates us from those who don’t know Christ.  They don’t know him, and we do.  So it should make a difference in how we react to life.

Rejoice. Be gentle. Let it be a testimony to all. God is right here.