Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: ‘Grace”
Our Bible verse for today: “… since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character.” Ruth 3:11 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “A grace-filled, grace-full person is magnanimous.”
I love the word “magnanimous” (pronounced “mag nan ah mus”). It means “greatness of soul”. Some synonyms for magnanimous are, “Merciful, big-hearted, charitable, kind, gentle, forgiving, noble, and dignified.”
A magnanimous person is kind, patient, compassionate, forgiving, big-hearted, and generous, and they do it in a noble and dignified manner. Serene and confident, they move through their world in a graceful way, all the while being a blessing and making the lives of others better.
Although the Bible doesn’t actually use the word magnanimous, it does use many of the synonyms for it and it does ascribe the virtue of magnanimity to people such as Ruth. In fact, the synonym for magnanimous, “noble” is used often, usually with respect to women. There are a few occasions when men in the Bible are described as “noble”, but usually the person described as being noble, or magnanimous, or having a greatness of soul, is a woman (Ruth 3:11, Proverbs 12:4; 31:10; 31:29)
Over the years I’ve had the privilege to know some magnanimous men who truly had that “greatness of soul”, but I’ve known many more women like that. My mother was one of them. My wife is another. It probably has something to do with the kinder, gentler female nature.
What I do know is that our world needs more magnanimous people. We need more men and women who are kind and merciful; great of soul; big of heart; dignified and noble; blessing people everywhere they go.
That dignified and noble character comes from God and is the result of His grace at work in the lives of His people. The more grace-filled and grace-full a person is, the more magnanimous they will be. Developing that greatness of soul is a worthy pursuit for any life. I encourage you to be a more intentionally magnanimous person today.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 