Summer Fruit Devotion: Gentleness Day 3

Gentle Correction

“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:22-26

Doesn’t it sound awesome, that correcting our opponents with gentleness can rescue them from the snare of the devil? Paul experienced this firsthand. He thought he was serving God by killing Christians but he was really doing the will of the devil. But God knocked him off a horse and blinded him! How is that correction with gentleness? Think about what a snare is, it is a trap that usually catches an animal around the neck or leg, keeping it from getting away, and often killing or injuring it in the process. The most gentle correction God could offer Paul was physically blinding him so he could finally see the truth of his spiritual blindness. God granted him repentance, he came to his senses and escaped the snare, then God sent him to Ananias to heal him and his ministry began. When a surgeon removes a cancer from a patient it is done with anesthesia and gentleness, with a sharp scalpel so there is minimal damage to healthy tissue. We correct our opponents with gentleness when we do what Paul says here, avoid quarrels and foolish controversies and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.

Journal time. How to do you react when people oppose you or push your buttons about your faith? How about on social media? No one changes their mind or heart because of an aggressive social media slap-back. As Christians we definitely should not engage in the kind of social media trolling the world does. If you don’t have social media, all the better, but if you do, take a little self examination of your activity there and see if you can be more gentle in how you respond.

Pray with me today. Heavenly Father, we are so grateful that you have rescued us from the snare of the devil and granted us repentance and eternal life through Christ. We want to see many more people freed from that snare! We pray for our unsaved friends and family members, that you would help us avoid arguments and foolish controversy. We pray for our communities and all the nations. Let your love and mercy and gentleness toward us be the fuel for our love and mercy and gentleness toward people who oppose you and your gospel. Use us as instruments of your perfect light. In the true and gentle name of Jesus we pray, Amen.