A Gentle and Quiet Spirit

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment...Instead, it 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. 1 Peter 3:3-4

Holy Father, I pray that Your Spirit washes me with Your Word so that I may be holy in your sight. Lord, I lay my burdens at your feet, fill me with peace and love and take away the demons of anxiety and irritability and depresion. Lord, I yearn to have a gentle and quiet spirt which is worthy to you. You have given me beautiful and holy role models, Lord show me the way to quiet my spirit and be gentle towards myself and others. In Your Name I pray, Amen

This was the Word God gave me this morning. A gentle and quiet spirit. How I yearn to have a gentle and quiet spirit. Intolerance, impatience, irritability get in the way. Selfish pride gets in the way.

I repeated this verse every time I felt myself becoming irritated today. God showed me that I was being selfish and this selfishness is an obstacle to finding peace. I kept my thoughts on God and called on Him to quiet my soul when the feelings of irritability started. I slipped this evening though, and I pray for grace. God is showing me where it is most difficult for me to remain gentle-in my interactions with my sister. Lord, help me see my sister as You do, as Your child precious in Your sight. Fill me with Your love for her. Help me to keep patience and have a gentle and quiet spirit in my interactions with my sister. Amen.

God also let me know that my pride gets in the way. I never thought I was prideful...but God has shown me that I was wrong. Pride is a funny thing, our world says we need pride-parents, teachers, other caring people in our lives tell us they are proud when we do something they approve of. We are also told to be proud of ourselves. It develops self esteem and confidence. As God's children we are to be in this world but not of this world. Pride is of this world. Lord, thank you for showing me my prideful ways. Wash my pride away with Your Word, Your loving kindness, and Your grace. Allow Your love and light to shine through me and All Glory to You!