Christian Gentleness in Times of Chaos

Almost every end of the world movie has the same cliche beginning: people running frantically into grocery stores, freeways backed up for miles with traffic, riots and fights breaking out everywhere. It’s a scene of total chaos. Those responses might be realistic, but as believers, is that really the only way? How does God want us to prepare for the end of this age?

God has not left us to figure this out on our own. Volumes could be written on how we should then live, but this week I saw one oft-neglected quality God’s people should strive for as we prepare for the return of Christ: gentleness.

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” - Philippians 4:5 (NIV)

Gentleness is one response you won’t see on your average end of the world movie. Instead of chaos and conflict, God has called us to put on gentleness, reasonableness, and graciousness. Why? Because the Lord is near.

Jesus is approaching.

His return is getting closer.

The Day of the Lord is at hand.

The rest of the Bible fills us in on the surrounding details to this Day of the Lord. It will be a day of judgment on those who rejected Jesus and one of salvation for those who found their refuge in him. It will be the ultimate apocalyptic day in human history.

In one sense, responses of chaos and fear are understandable…if you’re on the wrong side of things. King Jesus will come as the judge and ruler of all mankind to establish his righteous reign. But for the people of Jesus, this will be the dawn of everlasting peace and justice. While Jesus will come as the great and powerful King of kings, he will still be gentle and lowly in heart (Matt. 11:28). He will still be the most approachable person in the universe. He will still be the Jesus who draws his people in through mercy, grace, love, and gentleness.

So why does Paul use Jesus’ return as a rationale for Christian gentleness? I don’t think it’s a threat. Paul doesn’t seem to be saying that Jesus is coming back, so you better mind your manners. That’s true in a sense, but I think it misses the point. Instead, Paul is calling on believers to seek peace and pursue gentleness, because the Lord of Peace and King of Gentleness is drawing near. We pursue these traits because they are at the heart of Jesus, and thus, will be the foundations for the culture he creates when he returns.

It also helps us think rightly about the end of this age. The Book of Revelation paints a picture of Babylon gaining more power and control before the coming of Jesus. There will be wars and rumors of wars. Our own society is increasingly marked by violence, pride, chaos, and suffering. It’s tempting for Christians to revolt against the ungodliness in an ungodly manner. We can easily take on the very qualities God opposes by fighting for “truth”. In recent weeks, the Christian Twitterverse has been abuzz debating the usefulness of winsomeness and gentleness in these days of chaos, opposition, and division. Some seem to argue that the time for these qualities is over. We must take up the sword and battle against the wickedness that runs rampant in whatever manner necessary. This has often been used as an excuse for caustic and angry words and demeanors as we participate in the hot-button culture battle of the moment.

While we must stand for truth against worldliness, we don’t use the same tools and tones used by the world. We speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). As the world gets hotter, Christians must cool things down in a spirit of gentleness, because Jesus is coming soon. This is a motivation to pursue peace and gentleness in the culture wars, at home with angsty children, at work with unappeasable co-workers, and so on.

Paul would like to have a word for those who explain away the necessity of gentleness as things heat up. Our Christian witness will shine the brighter and be that much more effective when we stand up with the words of Jesus and in the spirit of Jesus, particularly in a spirit of gentleness. Jesus will soon come and bring about the end of this age, so as we wait, may we live out the qualities that serve as the cornerstone of Jesus’ kingdom: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.