Mirror on the Wall, Gospel in the Heart

Scotty Smith is a Presbyterian colleague I met while working on my doctoral degree. He is an amazing teacher, pastor, and friend. Let’s join him this prayer he wrote based on Matthew 11:29, where Christ Jesus says, “Learn from me, for I (Jesus) am gentle and humble in heart.” —-

Lord Jesus, I am ready, with heart-notebook open. Teach me the ways of gentleness. My heart-notebook is open.

Gentle me when things just don’t work out—when good plans become nice afterthoughts. To “to-look-forward-to” is human, to be graciously flexible and accepting is divine.

Gentle me when I hear a comment, name, or manufactured-untruth that raises my dander, blood pressure, and/or hackles. To red-faced react is human. To carefully respond is divine.

Gentle me when I’m with people who see faith, politics, and life choices differently from me. To try to change and fix people is human (sometimes devilish). To listen, understand, love in the tension, and trust you is divine.

Gentle me when I face fair and unfair criticism. To love to be right, make excuses, and/or go to shame, self-righteousness, or attack-mode is human. To humble myself, believe the Gospel, stay teachable, and repent is divine.

Gentle me when I forget where I put stuff, when the mirror doesn’t lie about my age, and when the calendar says I’m closer to heaven than ever before. To live in denial, vanity, regret, or fear is human. To love you, trust you, enjoy you, accept reality and look forward to eternity is divine. I choose divine.
Jesus, thank you for your grace, kindness, gentleness, and sovereignly.

And thank for friends with whom to grow older, more gentle, missional, fun, and expectant of heaven. So Very Amen!