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Daily Devotion: Philippians 4:5

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Philippians 4:5     "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand."

As I look at this verse, I see several applications for the word, moderation.  It can mean mildness, gentleness, or being patient. Ultimately it means to act appropriately in response to situations and circumstances. The root meaning is to "superimpose" gentleness over the reaction of anger. It means to superimpose mildness over giving a harsh answer. We are to superimpose patience over wanting things done our way and in our time. Yes, this verse of Scripture is hard doctrine, for you see, none of those things come naturally to us. "LET" your patience be known. "LET" your gentleness be seen and experienced. "LET" your mild-mannered response be felt by those around you. I sure wish I could tell you that I have mastered all these things. But, I can't say that because I haven't. I type that sentence and I remember youth camp a few years ago. The children were singing the song, "He's Still Working on Me." It began as a little joke, but the reality set in. They were singing, "He's still working on STEVE." That is the absolute truth.  I'm still a work in progress.

I think, for me, the hardest thing is superimposing patience over my impatience. There are some things that I can be very patient about. I can be very patient in those things that I absolutely know that I can't do without God's help. But I have problems when it's something that I ought to be able to do, like putting a bookshelf together. I find myself impatient when it doesn't come together as easily as I thought. I want to do better. I want to be mild and gentle while being patient, but I find myself muttering and  grunting a lot when I'm in a difficult position. How can I overcome this? How can I prevent it from getting the best of me? Paul gives instructions and He gives the solution. Let your moderation (patience, gentleness, mildness) be known unto all men. That sounds good Paul, but HOW do I overcome myself? We can overcome it by remembering that  "The Lord is at hand." Yes, the Lord is the solution, as He is in all matters. The Lord is with me always. Oh yes, now I remember. We have already looked at the promise: "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."  Now I remember, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1)   Lord, help me to rely upon you in all things.

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