Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near
– Philippians 4:5
What is a gentle spirit? The Greek word used here is epieikēs which means “a humble, patient steadfastness which is
able to submit to injustice, disgrace, and maltreatment without hatred and malice, trusting in God in spite of it all.” It is sometimes translated “forbearance.”
We often find ourselves in seemingly unreasonable situations. What is the secret to forbearance in such
situations? It is to give up our rights. In other words, others know they can take advantage of us, because we have given up our legal rights to make any claims for ourselves. We should be able to declare, “If I have any food in my refrigerator, it’s yours! If I have a couch you want, feel free to come take it!” Others should know that everything we have is theirs, because we live for them.
Excerpted from Philippians: That I May Gain Christ by Titus Chu, p. 263
