by Rev Don Schatz

Gentleness.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Your beauty should be that…of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
I Peter 3:3-4, New International Version

There are many places in Scripture that speak of a flower’s beauty, or glory, and of how fleeting it is. One of the things I like about calla lilies is how long they last in the garden. They have a simple elegance…a somewhat-unfading beauty.

Peter doesn’t reference fading flowers when he speaks of the inner beauty of the New Creation within us. This beauty need not fade. It is the beauty of the spirit, blooming in the tender love of God’s grace. It is the wonderful result of the continuous testimony of God’s Spirit to ours, that we are indeed children of God.

Look for a flower today. Let it remind you of who you are. Not even the beauty of a flower compares to the inner beauty of your soul fixed on Jesus. How much God loves you! How much he delights in rooting you in the deep soil of his love in Christ Jesus. How he continues to shower you with the nourishment of Baptismal Grace. Oh how the Lord loves the fruit of the Spirit in your life, growing and showing, from the inside out.

It’s helpful to remember the truth sometimes! The truth is, you are God’s planting. He has planted you on purpose, His purpose. He nurtures you, cares for you, and tends to your needs. He is a faithful gardener. Any gardener delights in his or her work, so the Lord delights in you. It’s worth saying it again.

The beauty of a flower will indeed fade, but not you, not your beauty. The wondrous beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit touches the lives of many. Beauty begets beauty. Quiet births quiet. Gentleness calms restlessness. It is true in you today, by God’s grace. It will be true through you today. It is God’s grace!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO