“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29, NIV)
When it comes to golf shoes, there are several things to consider, depending on when and where you regularly play: Are they waterproof? Do they reflect my style? Do they come in my size? Are they the color I prefer?
But one question prevails: Are they comfortable? When you spend as much time on your feet as a golfer does—especially if you are a walker—you just can’t afford to have cramped toes and burning heels. You need your shoes to treat your feet gently, because you’ll be trudging them across grass, sand, mud, concrete, and more.
Gently. That’s our word for today. But before we go there specifically, let’s remind ourselves that we have spent time this month reflecting on the “garments” of Colossians 3:12, where the apostle Paul wrote to this faithful church that they should “clothe [themselves] with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” These are attributes of Christ himself, and we want them to become visible attributes in our own lives as well.
If we are to wear the clothing of Jesus, we must share a closet with Jesus.
With this in mind, it is interesting to see in Christ’s words in Matthew 11:29 the call to put on something else: a yoke. Yes, this is the wooden link between two oxen pulling a cart; it’s what encourages them to walk in unison. Jesus told his disciples, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” This might be the very definition of discipleship. Connect yourself to Jesus, where everything he says will go right from his mouth into your ear. We were meant to learn from our teacher in close quarters, not from a “safe distance.” Here’s another way to put it, in the context where we have been studying: If we are to wear the clothing of Jesus, we must share a closet with Jesus.
Once there, then, one of the articles of clothing we will find is gentleness. We are to live gently before others. This makes sense, for when Jesus revealed the contents of his own heart, he said, “I am gentle and humble in heart.” Some translations render this “gentle and lowly.”
Depending on where you live in the world (or even the United States), the call to gentleness can look like a countercultural call. Men are supposed to be rough and ready, women stout and hardy. No real argument there. But what is truly beautiful is when we see such a man or woman scoop up a small child and smother the little one with affection and nurturing care. Such a combination of strength and gentleness is irresistible, isn’t it?
But what of gentleness with other adults? Should we display this, too? Absolutely—if we keep in mind the cross, where Christ died for sinners, first me and then you. Jesus was ultimately gentle with me, resisting the obvious solution of calling down the armies of heaven on his accusers and oppressors. Instead “he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). So I too must humble myself and gently reach out to others with forgiveness and spiritual nurture. If I want to bring others along to Jesus, I stand the best chance of doing so when I render his message in the way he rendered his life: gently.
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Jeff Hopper
August 18, 2020
Copyright 2020 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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