While growing up, I often overlooked gentleness when I recited the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. At that time, I did not understand why gentleness is considered a fruit of the Spirit, mostly because it seemed so similar to other fruits of the Spirit such as love and kindness. Although that did not make any sense back then, God has recently shown me the importance of gentleness. Over this past year, I have been feeling overwhelmed and stressed. I started feeling this way around April 2018, when projects, essays, and SAT tests began piling into my lap. The stress continued over the summer, and “summer break” did not really feel like a break. During that time, I started working on college applications, which was a lot more work than I had imagined it to be. Not only did I have to write multiple essays, but there was so much paperwork to fill out about my general information and extracurricular activities. During my free time, I was able to do fun and relaxing things, but thoughts about how far behind I was in the work that I needed to finish were always in the back of my mind. As my work load became heavier, I started to realize that the stress I had been feeling caused me to become more easily frustrated. I noticed that I was not as patient with others and that I had a shorter temper than usual. While I was trying to choose my one little word for 2019 during these past few weeks, God placed the word “gentleness” in my mind and He showed me that gentleness really is an important characteristic to have. I learned that gentleness can be applicable to many different areas of my life. So this new year, I want to start being more gentle in the way I speak, more gentle in the way that I respond to others, and more gentle in the way that I treat others. Below, I will also be sharing some verses that I want to live by starting 2019. (As I searched for a life verse to pick for this upcoming year, I found it very difficult to pick only one, so I picked multiple!)
James 1:19-20 says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” Philippians 4:5 says, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” Proverbs 15:18 says, “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.” Proverbs 21:23 says, “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.”
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Around eight months ago, as the week before Easter approached, I found myself going to as many church services as possible to prepare my heart for the coming celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. As a result, I began to ask myself why I enjoyed going to church so much. I was not questioning my faith in God, but instead I wanted to take the time to think of my own honest answer. Since I am at an age where I can decide whether or not I want to go to church on Sundays, I can no longer say that my parents are the main reason I attend. (Basically, I always choose to go to church but I am also able to choose a different option if I really wanted to.) After much thought, here is the answer I came up with: I go to church because it fills me with God’s peace, and I feel more connected to Him. Many people try to find that peace in worldly things, but only God can completely satisfy our hearts. For example, some people watch movies to escape reality. It can be a distraction from the stressful things that they may be experiencing. Of course, I am not saying that watching movies is a bad thing! I enjoy watching them myself, but I always have this empty feeling when the movie is over—as if my heart is torn between fantasy and reality. After watching the 2017 version of “Beauty and the Beast” in theaters a while ago, I remember feeling disappointed to go back to my normal, non-extravagant and stressful life after leaving the theater. I was not looking forward to going to school the next day, and thoughts about true love and happy endings swirled around in my mind. On the contrary, when I go to church, God renews His strength and peace within my heart and it lasts longer than just a few hours. When I leave my church after the service is over, I do not feel unsatisfied or disappointed. Instead, I have a refreshed feeling of confidence and strength within my heart. I leave knowing that whatever I may face in the upcoming week, I will have God by my side to help me through it. And honestly, that is one of the best feelings a person could ever experience. Psalm 107:8-9 says, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”
1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” Jeremiah 31:25 says, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” |
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