Draw Near – 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with GodSample

WARMING RAYS The biting wind of winter makes us draw our wraps around us tightly; when the warm and gentle rays of the sun envelop us in the spring, we take off our coats and bask in them. Similarly, a person who is cold and blustery repels us, but one who is open and warm makes it easy for us to open up and trust him with the secrets of our lives. For this reason, Paul admonishes believers to be open and warm (Ephesians 4:2). Paul was not perfect. No doubt, he was haunted by the bitter battle with Barnabas which broke up their effective missionary team. He was probably drawing on this experience when he encouraged believers to be gentle and tender with one another. He did not want them to suffer the same pangs of remorse that bothered him because he had acted so contrary to the Lord's desires. God is gentle. David said to his Creator: Your gentleness has made me great (2 Samuel 22:36). One of Christ's most outstanding characteristics on earth was His gentleness. We who desire to be Christ-like need to be the same. Two things often keep us from gentleness: (1) sickness or pain, which makes us sharp with others; and (2) sins against us, which make us vengeful. We need to carefully guard our spirits and ask God to make us gentle people.