| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Be the church” Our Bible verse for today: “Let your graciousness be known to everyone.” Philippians 4:5 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Be magnanimous” I love the word magnanimous. It’s such a big word, such a rich word. And it describes such a greatness of soul. Magnanimity is the virtue of being great in mind and heart. Synonyms include forgiving, merciful, big-hearted, patient, long-suffering, self-sacrificing, noble-minded, dignified, charitable, unselfish, fair, and just. Interestingly, Rodale’s Synonym Finder also lists “Christian” as one of the synonyms for magnanimous. Presumably, the follower of Christ is expected to be magnanimous – all the features and virtues just described above. The Bible is packed full of examples of magnanimous individuals behaving in magnanimous ways. Abraham was certainly magnanimous in his dealings with his nephew Lot in the early chapters of Genesis. Joseph demonstrated a magnanimous spirit in dealing with his brothers in Genesis 45. Jesus modeled magnanimity for us, and the Apostle Paul wrote about it in Philippians 4:5. I love the way the Amplified Bible captures the full flavor and meaning of Paul’s words: “Let your gentle spirit (your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience) be known to all people. The Lord is near.” We are going to spend most of the rest of this month thinking about how it is that if we are going to venture out into this sinful, angry, and combative world that we live in and contend for Biblical principles in the public sector, we will have to be strong and we will have to be resilient. Strength and resilience will be two indispensable qualities that we will have to have. But before we get to that, it’s imperative for us to remember what we learned in a previous devotional that it’s not just a matter of what we say, but how we say it. We can be bold, confident, and uncompromising without being loud, angry, and mean. We can be assertive and engaged while being magnanimous and gracious at the same time. Tomorrow, I will offer you some examples of individuals who have trained themselves to be both bold and engaged but also magnanimous and gracious. It is possible to be both ways at the same time. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
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