Living on Mission – Gentleness in our Closest Relationships

Living on Mission – Gentleness in our Closest Relationships

This week we are focusing on gentleness in our closest relationships: our family and our workplace. Most of us spend the bulk of our time with these people. Conflict can arise easily in close proximity. Familiarity can sometimes breed contempt. We may forget to show appropriate respect toward people we’re very close to. But this is not the gentle way of Jesus.

Paul gives us specific instructions for how to treat one another. We can easily see that obedience, honoring, instruction, serving, pleasing, and working with enthusiasm all require gentleness and align with the gentle ways of Jesus. How can we put these instructions into practice this week?

“Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. ‘Honor your father and mother.’ This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, ‘things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.’ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.” (Ephesians 6:1-9)

Let’s practice Living on Mission and practice gentleness in our closest relationships.

Pastor Angela