My God given name is Melinda which means "gentle". I use to be more gentle and still am at times. However, I have become demanding and harsh when I want to make a point. I see God, however, restoring me to be dressed as he made me to be dressed with gentleness. This is a continuation of the One Thread at a Time. There are times where I am not gentle but God is a gentleman and has whispered his gentleness to be over and over in the last few months as I have struggled with loss and health issues one right after the other since January.
Right now, I am to be on total voice rest due to vocal cord dysfunction. I love to talk. Actually I would have defined my gifts and abilities with the spoken word. My career prior to being a stay at home mom/homemaker was a lawyer. I was not a layer that sat at a desk but instead was a litigator/trial attorney. I remember when I was in high school, I was so shy that when we had to speak in front of the class, I would break out in hives. I remember thinking I can't do public speaking. I gave God excuses like Moses when he was sent to Egypt to free the Israelites. God however has always given me the Words to speak. Also, I believed my spiritual gift had to do with speaking forth God's word in teaching, mentoring, prophetically or in a word of knowledge. I also have bene homeschooking my preschool aged son. I love to read outload to him. Everything I did seemed to involve speech. Now, I am left to try to communicate without words. I have been stressed in trying not to speak. Yesterday, I was contimplating whether I was just as precious to God even if I never received my voice back. I know in my head I am precious without my voice to God but this lack of voice is shaking me and making me contemplate more about being dressed in Christ. God has been sufficient and has dressed me daily with Himself and His strength.
Scripture for Today:
1 Peter 3:4 "You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."
Observations:
1. we are to clothe self with beauty that comes fromw ithin
2. gentle and quiet spirit never fade
3. inner clothing of gentle and quiet spirit is so PRECIOUS to God
Application:
Once I am clothed with Christ robe of righteousness and not my own, then Jesus describes the clothing we are to wear. There are many scriptures on how we are to be clothed which I mentioned some in the previous post. When I think of clothing I am to wear as way of application I think of 1 Peter 3:4 "You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." Originally this post was part of my post Dressed One Thread at a Time. However, when I woke up this morning and saw that the Scripture for today's Proverb 31 study was 1 Peter 3:4, I divided the two posts which were getting rather long anyway. I like how God's spirit brings a verse to our hearts. His word comes alive for me and many times the whole of the Bible starts coming to me when a topic is mentioned.
My given name Melinda actually means "sweet and gentle one". God says we as women should be clothed with a beauty that comes from within which is a gentle and quiet spirit. My name Melinda can also be broken down to Mela as honey and Linda as Gentle. It can also mean dark haired one. I am dark haired still for the most part except for a few grays but somehow I have moved away from the true name God has given me which is to be sweet, gentle one. We probably all know the saying "you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar." Actually, I heard that this saying over the weekend while I was camping.
What does it mean to be gentle? I read in The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges that gentle in some translations is restful. Are people at rest or at ease around you? Gentleness is how I deal with others. We are to be people sensitive to tohers opinions and ideas. Others should not be afraid to express their ideas or opinions in our presence. I also read in The Practive of Godliness that gentleness is also a respect for a person's dignity/worth for who they are not what they do. I am to avoid blunt speech or abrupt manner.
In addition to be clothed with gentleness, I am to be clothed with quietness. I am now on total voice rest for three weeks. I have to pick my words carefully and only speak when absolutely necessary. I am learning that I don't need to speek everything that comes to my mind even if they are good, building up words. Too many words can overwhelm. Proverbs 20:5 says "The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out." We are to quietly draw counsel out of others. We are not to be harsh, demanding, drill them with question after question or tell them everything that we are growing in so that they end up feeling guilty or crushed.
Prayer: .Lord let me have the self control to be gentle and quiet during this time of silence. Let my spirit talk to you without using audible words. Lord help me to have self control and modesty in words so that i don't need to expose everything I am thinking or learning. Lord thank you that gentleness is a fruit of your spirit. I trust that you are restoring me to my true name - gentle one. Thank you Jesus for your hope in this required time of silence as I have voice rest. Let me be a person of understanding that draws people out rather than tell them what they should do. Thank you for my name Lord and your promise that you will dress me in gentleness.
What I am learning about being gentle and quiet:
1. I am learning to allow others to speak their mind, thoughts and ideas without having to have a comment
2. I am learning to listen and watch more
3. I am learning not to demand or expect but to ask politely and with thanksgiving whether or not I receive what I want
4. Letting my husband speak his heart, mind and thoughts more
5. Seeing that my family is so sad and speaking less when I am not speaking shows me that I do most of the talking
6. that being gentle is having people at rest within my presence. They can just come sit in my house without feeling they have to be or do something special. They don't feel that I am silently judging them.
7. I don't have to say everything I am thinking or learning.
8. I am learning to finally write more than speak everything.
Read 6/12/2012 post on what I am learning in the silence and quiet without my voice.
Verses for further study:
Colossians 3:12 - Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
***Out of 5 things we are to wear, one is gentleness***
Philippians 4:5 - Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
James 3:17 - But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
***Gentleness is evidence of heavenly wisdom***
Matthew 11:28-29 - “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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.
***Jesus described himeself with two words in this quote - gentle and humble***
Gentle:
1 Kings 19:12 ~ Elijah hears a gentle whisper and it is God's voice speaking to Him.
Proverbs 15:1 ~ A gentle answer turns away wrath.
Zechariah 9:9 ~ Prophecy of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Describes Him as gentle.
Matthew 11:29 ~ Jesus describes Himself as gentle and humble in heart.
Acts 27:13 ~ a gentle wind made for easier sailing
1 Corinthians 4:21 ~ Paul reminds the Corinthians that God's kingdom is not just talk and words. It is the power of God! He puts it to them in a question, "Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?"
Ephesians 4:2 ~ "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
1 Thessalonians 2:7 ~ describes gentleness as the way a mother cares for her little children
1 Timothy 3:3 ~ opposite of violent; requirement for one in authority at church
2 Corinthians 10:1 ~Paul appeals to the Corinthians in the "meekness and gentleness of Christ"
Galatians 5:22-23 ~ part of the Fruit of the Spirit: gentleness
1 Timothy 6:11 ~ gentleness is a quality we are to pursue
1 Peter 3:15 ~ We are called to be ready to tell others why we have the hope we have, but challenged to do it with "gentleness and respect."
Quiet:
Isaiah 30:15 ~ there is a strength in quietness
Isaiah 32:17 ~ "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."
1 Timothy 2:11 ~ specifically a characteristic God's women are to pursue: quietness
Genesis 25:27 ~ Jacob was described as a quiet man
1 Chronicles 4:40 ~ Family of Simeon was looking for new land and found a place described as, "rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful and quiet."
1 Chronicles 22:9 ~ Israel would be granted a season of peace and quiet during Solomon's reign
Job 6:24 ~ a spirit of humility, a teachable spirit. One who is willing to be quiet and admit wrong when necessary.
Psalm 23:2 ~ The Lord, our Shepherd leads us by quiet waters
Psalm 83:1 ~ a prayer requesting God not to keep silent and quiet
Proverbs 17:1 ~ A peaceful, quiet - yet, modest home is to be desired over many possessions with quarreling and strife.
Ecclesiastes 9:17 ~ listen to quiet wisdom over loud foolishness
Amos 5:13 ~ knowing when to keep quiet shows prudence
Zephaniah 3:17 ~ God will quiet our hearts with His love
Mark 1:25 ~ Jesus commanded quiet from the evil spirits
Mark 4:39 ~ Jesus commanded quiet from the weather
Mark 6:31 ~ Jesus encourages His disciples to come with Him to a quiet place to rest
Luke 19:40 ~ If all of God's people are required to keep quiet, even Creation will cry out
1 Thessalonians 4:11 ~ "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life..."
1 Timothy 2:1-2 ~ "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kinds and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
