The Gentle Mama
Some of you may have read this post on Friday when I accidentally sent out two in the morning email. Oops! So sorry about that!
I recently wrote about The Present Mama, using this verse from 1 Thessalonians:
But we proved to be gentle among you,
as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.
1 Thessalonians 2:7
The Secret by Helen Hyde, 1909
Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum,
Gift of Hyde Gillette in memory of
Mabel Hyde Gillette and Edwin Fraser Gillette
A woman’s gentleness is precious in God’s sight. As the apostle Peter wrote to wives:
Your adornment must not be merely external—
braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;
but let it be the hidden person of the heart,
with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is precious in the sight of God.
1 Peter 3:3-4
Gentleness is also precious in the sight of husbands and children.
Mother and Child, drawing by Fernand Maillaud.
Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum,
Gift of the Republic of France
Tsee-moúnt, Great Wonder,
Carrying Her Baby in Her Robe by George Catlin, 1832
Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Paul reminded the Philippians that they should show a gentle spirit to everyone in this verse sandwiched between the admonition to rejoice in the Lord always and to be anxious for nothing, but to let our requests be known to God.
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.
The Lord is near.
Philippians 4:5
James tells us that gentleness is a characteristic of wisdom.
But the wisdom from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, reasonable,
full of mercy and good fruits,
unwavering, without hypocrisy.
James 3:17
Jesus our Savior is our ultimate example of gentleness. In the Sermon on the Mount, He taught us the blessedness of being gentle:
“Blessed are the gentle,
for they shall inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5
What a promise that is. Jesus fulfilled a prophecy related to His own gentleness on Palm Sunday, when He sent two of His disciples to find a donkey and colt and bring them to Him for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold your King is coming to you,
Gentle and mounted on a donkey,
even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
Matthew 21:4-5
Jesus implores us mamas and all Christians to:
“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