By Allan Pole
D.L. Moody led many people to Jesus, yet he never displayed the pompous air of self-importance that so many famous evangelists did in that era. He was a tolerant, understanding man who rarely criticized others. One of his famous sayings was, “Right now I’m having so much trouble with D.L. Moody that I don’t have time to find fault with the other fellow.” D.L. Moody was a person people loved.
The Apostle Paul describes such a person in Ephesians 4:2, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (NIV)
Our relationships will flourish if we decide to be humble.
Pride is the chief cause of strife and tragedy, an undue sense of superiority. It keeps us from knowing God and accepting His Lordship, alienates us from others and causes isolation and loneliness. To gain victory over pride, we should desire its opposite: Christlikeness and humility. Humility brings healing and reconciliation. Humility includes dependence on God, honesty about ourselves, and willingness to deal with our fears and failures.
A humble person is a lovable person. Humble people know that God made them in His image, so others should treat them with dignity and respect. Humble people know they have shortcomings and have no reason to think more highly of themselves than they ought.
Our relationships will flourish if we decide to be gentle.
Our relationships will flourish if we cultivate courtesy, consideration and humility within. The Lord transformed Moses, Joseph, John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul and many others in the Bible so He could work and speak through them.
Biblical Greek uses meekness to describe an animal that its master has trained. Meekness is strength under the control of God, and gentleness is true power. Wild and unruly animals are virtually worthless, but they are teachable, meek, and valuable when they become obedient.
Have we submitted ourselves to the master’s training so that we can become gentle? Are we so committed to loving Jesus and loving others that we are becoming gentler?
Our relationships will flourish if we decide to be patient.
A Dutch proverb claims, “A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains.” Our relationships will flourish if we decide to be patient. To be patient is to bear with the faults and idiosyncrasies of others.
Someone wanted to know the secret of longevity from several elderly church members, so one senior was asked, “And why do you think God has permitted you to reach the age of 92?”
This sweet lady responded without hesitation, “To test the patience of my relatives.”
As we track love down to those who seem to enjoy more than their share, we will observe that these people have specific characteristics in common: humility, gentleness and patience.
How would people describe us? Will we take an honest look at ourselves and ask the Lord to transform us?
Getting along with people starts with us.