Don’t be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2 NIRV
Humility and Gentleness
Nelson Wiseman, director of Canadian Studies at the University of Toronto, has theories about the origins of the cliché about Canadians being nice. Specifically, Canadians may be nice because history demanded it of us. “John A. Macdonald called Canadians a subordinate people,” he says. “That’s in part because we’ve had a strong tradition of centralized regimes, with the French, and then as a British nation.” In Canada, the characteristics and values of early European settlers infiltrated the culture and persisted, particularly those of the conservative British Tories.
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Pride is a mark of the kingdoms of this world. We are taught that we need to take pride in everything we accomplish, and the better we do, the more pride we should have. I recently read an obituary where the soloist sang “I Did It My Way” because it marked the life of the person who had died. What a contrast to what the Bible says in Ephesians 4:2: “Don’t be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love.” What a difference our world would be if we lived according to Paul’s admonition here. How would life be like within our church family, our human family and our other relationships if we showed humility, putting others ahead of ourselves. How much healthier would we be, and our relationships, if we were gentle with others and patient. These are the marks of Jesus, and they must mark our lives as well. This isn’t easy – we are bombarded all day long by the principles of the world. By God’s grace, however, we can get to where the Bible calls us to be.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley