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If I asked my family, friends, and colleagues if I were on their side, what would the answer be.

  • I am not sure, and I am uncomfortable with that.
  • Jesus challenges me to love and be on the side of all I meet.
  • That should be clear. Is it?

Rejoice in the Master always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Master is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in the Messiah Jesus.

ESV (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Philippians 4:4–7

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The Greek word for reasonableness is ἐπιεικής, ές: pertaining to being gracious and forbearing—‘gentle, gracious, forbearing.’ A literal translation might be “mild-mannered” In other words, we are on their side.

God’s Goal: God wants us to gentle, gracious, forbearing, and mild-mannered. So much so that all human beings should know that about us. He has given us the Holy Spirit whose fruit grows in us. Now that is some good news.

Bonus Content: Check out this supplemental content about “Gentleness”. It adds context to this article. If you like it, please consider subscribing to the channel on YouTube.

Source: Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 748.