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She Loves Like Jesus

October 27, 2026October 14, 2026 krisshetter

First published June 4, 2021 as part of the Jesus Mindset series

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

“Jesus sees you. The first lesson of this miracle is a welcome one. You and I aren’t invisible. We aren’t overlooked. Jesus spots us on the side of the road, and he makes the first move.” Max Lucado

There are three women in my life whom I count as having had a significant influence on me. Two of the three will probably never know me. That’s the power of having an outlet to reach millions of people either through radio, books, television, and other media My long commutes as a young working woman were filled with life wisdom dished out with borderline harshness by Dr. Laura. She made sense to me and helped me to see different perspectives in relationships both personally and professionally. Later, my faith life received a much-needed injection of God’s truth from the formidable Joyce Meyer. Her devotional, “Power Thoughts,” was Dr. Laura on faith steroids. But again, these two women and I will probably never cross paths.

The third woman God placed in my path couldn’t have been more different. Unlike the others, she never stood behind a microphone or published a bestseller. Yet she taught me more about loving people than anyone I’ve ever known.

She and Jesus share a beautiful character trait. They love all. They have compassion for all. They know just what someone needs at their darkest hour. When Jesus was asked how the masses would be fed, He stepped up to the plate. And so does my mother-in-law, Bev Shetter.

When I first would visit Bev in her hometown of Longmont, Colorado about 30 years ago, I would find myself frequently annoyed. As when people surrounded Jesus on His way to an official’s home, Bev couldn’t get through one aisle at the local grocer without multiple people approaching her. A quick trip for a loaf of bread turned into an hour.

The whole experience was foreign to me. How could one person, not only know so many people, but know so many people so well? She wasn’t some famous tv personality. She didn’t write a book. She didn’t operate the local bakery, or any business for that matter. She wasn’t even head of any organization. She was a housewife who occasionally worked part time at a flower shop here or a dress shop there. And, a faithful member of her church.

She remembers names, families, struggles, and milestones. She knows who is hurting, who needs prayer, and how to make everyone feel seen. At the end of a “short” trip for a few groceries I felt a bit like Peter, annoyed that we might be late for our next engagement because Bev needed to say yet another kind “hello” to an elderly woman.

She makes you feel loved, special, remembered.

“It’s funny how God leads us to just the right person to guide us through life. Bev has been that trusted loving spiritual friend to me for some 40 years. She has modeled the commandment of Jesus to love one another putting into action all the teachings of Jesus. We have shared laughter, faith, tears, fears, and all that life gives us and I am so grateful to her for walking beside me and revealing Jesus to me.” Longtime friend, Jane Nelson

Jesus did that. You knew you were in the presence of someone special because He made you feel special. The disciples knew that when Jesus said, “Follow me” they would be well-loved. They would be remembered. He wasn’t famous when He first called His disciples. He was an unknown. Not a rich businessman or even mildly successful tradesman. Yet He made sure to make people feel known and loved.

“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” John 17:9

Even in His last physical days on Earth, He remembered His friends. Not just the disciples. You’ll notice in the verse above He is praying for everyone that the Father sent to Him – that’s you, me, Peter, John, the tax collectors, the adulterers, the gentile and the Jew. Everyone who has turned their lives over to Him.

When I committed myself to my husband, I was given the gift of moving into Bev’s large friendship circle. It wasn’t easy at first. We are also opposite in personality. I was angry, unsettled, untethered to God. I welcomed outrage in my life, judged harshly and forgave reluctantly. But the thing about Jesus is when He steps into a relationship with a Saul He transforms the Saul into a Paul. And when someone like Bev enters your life, you can’t help but come out changed.

And so I watched and listened. I saw the peace she had in her life that I did not. I watched her minister to the homeless, the shut-in, the sick, the needy, the hurt, the lonely. I listened to her words of compassion and quiet, unassuming advice to her friends. She opens her home to visiting missionaries, childhood friends, family and anyone else that needs a pillow to rest their head. And I said, “I want some of that.”

Isn’t that what we do when listen to Jesus talk to a hurting person? “I want to be able to love like that.” Isn’t that what we pray for when we watch Jesus stop and pay attention to one person on the street whom nobody sees? “I should stop and help them.” Isn’t that what we long for when Jesus tells us He will never leave us? “I want to be loved and be remembered.”

“My grandma doesn’t wait around for approval, compliments or appreciation. She has a keen eye for what people need before they may even know it themselves. She is one to show up with a warm meal before your stomach starts to growl or a blanket before you start to shiver.” Granddaughter, Haley Shetter

Jesus and people like Bev show us how to love and be loved. They show us how to be the faithful and loving friend. They aren’t looking for 10,000 “likes” on Facebook. They stop in the grocery aisle and say, “Hello, friend, how is your mom feeling today?” They give their time and prayers one person at a time. And from that, Jesus and Bev have gained a multitude of loving and faithful friends.

“My sister Bev cared for my blessed mother for many years. Her dedication in honoring God through love and service is selfless and enduring. Many times her faith has been tested but never paled.” Sister, Kathy Pisano

The people like Bev, who live out this Jesus character trait so well, don’t work hard to make friends. They don’t work hard at keeping friends. They work hard at loving people. They look for ways to show compassion. They know that even doing their little part will mean something for somebody. People like Bev are remembered wherever they go, because the people they touch feel something special.

“From her I have learned to watch and listen to her ways. This is not something you develop overnight but attributes you gain over time. She surrounds herself with people who also have these qualities so they can act as a tribe, a community, to build and share their love.” Granddaughter, Haley Shetter

Bev and her “tribe” are truly special followers of Jesus’ command to love one another and be faithful to others. I’m a living example of someone who can learn to imitate Bev and Jesus. I may never achieve her level of influence but God knows my efforts.

It’s important for those of us who aren’t naturally inclined to be like her to know that Jesus still expects us to work at it. I’ll never be Bev 2.0, and God never intended me to be. But through her example and Christ’s guidance, I can become a little more compassionate, a little more attentive, and a little more willing to love people the way Jesus does.

Bev (front left) with a few members of her “Tribe”

My sweet mother-in-law passed away almost a year after this essay was first published. I miss her more than words can express, but the legacy of her kindness lives on in the countless people she loved so well. Today she rests safely in the arms of Jesus.

The Healing Power of Forgiveness

October 26, 2026October 14, 2026 krisshetter

^{First published June 13, 2022 as part of the Lessons from Cherith series.}

^“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Matthew 18:21

He’d been a drug addict and alcoholic for at least the 35 years I knew him. In fact, this lost uncle was my husband’s main reason for why he never touched drugs in his college days. My husband saw the path of destruction his uncle created throughout their family. This uncle, my mother-in-law’s youngest sibling, took the road so many addicts follow. They demand help, make others feel guilty for not rescuing them, promise to do better, then start the cycle over and over again.

In my visits to my husband’s hometown, we’d have infrequent contact with his uncle. But we would hear of his begging his own mother for money and complaining of how “lucky” and “privileged” everyone else in the family were because they weren’t always so down on their luck. To be fair, this man carried wounds from being the youngest child of an alcoholic and unfaithful father. As for my in-laws, they gave money, moral support, food, and more for much of his life. But after a number of run-ins with the law and intolerable behavior toward my husband’s grandmother, the uncle found himself eventually with backs turned. Enough was enough.

^“Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:22

Let’s face it, we are only human. We get our feelings hurt. We often seek to protect ourselves from harmful relationships. We don’t want to be taken advantage of and have our kindness thrown back at us with vitriol. Like many of Jesus’ expectations for us, the concept of forgiveness is not easy for our sinful human nature. We reach the end of our rope. We feel as though we have no tears left to shed.

I remember when my loving, caring mother-in-law said to me one day a few years ago, “I’m done. I’m tired of being blamed for his problems. I’m tired of being taken for granted that we will always help. I’m angry how he treats our mother.” And honestly, could anyone blame her? But the thing is, I knew deep down she didn’t mean any of it. I knew if her brother came again with hat in hand she would help. Because she knew that Jesus would do the same for her.

^“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:25

We can be thankful that God has not assigned us the role He gave prophets like Elijah, who were called to proclaim judgment. Throughout the Old Testament, God’s people repeatedly turned away from Him despite countless warnings. Yet alongside His warnings came opportunities for repentance. Ultimately, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, not only to proclaim truth but to offer forgiveness and reconciliation. Through Him, we learn that when we seek forgiveness and extend it to others, we experience the healing grace of God.

Jesus does not only desire healing for those who need forgiveness. He also desires healing for those doing the forgiving. When we honestly examine our own lives, we quickly realize how much we ourselves need mercy. We all come before God with empty hands, asking, “One more time, Lord. Please forgive me.” And by His grace, He does.

I’ve been fortunate to witness the healing power of forgiveness in a few people’s lives. My friend Andrea will forever be changed simply by forgiving a family member for past hurts and asking for forgiveness for how she has hurt others. My own relationship with my parents has required me to forgive them. And although the situation can still be painful, I now have the healing strength which forgiveness affords to help me pray for them each day.

^“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32

I started this message about a man so broken from addiction. A man who most would say was without hope, without the peace from God. But God is a miracle worker as we all know. So, after another stint in prison about a year ago, my husband’s uncle finally said, “Enough is enough.” He turned to God for forgiveness and healing. When he got the news that his oldest sister was now riddled with cancer he came immediately to be by her side.

We met in the hospital lobby, just the two of us. His eyes were clear, he looked healthy, and there was a peace about him I had never seen before. I took him up to his sister’s room and we sat and chatted. I felt like I should leave the room and give them some alone time when suddenly he took her by the hand and with tears streaming down his face he asked for forgiveness. He asked to be forgiven for the destruction he caused, the pain, and for all the lost years that could’ve been different.

I don’t know if I’ll ever again witness such a beautiful miracle, seeing God’s grace and love transform a room before my eyes.

My mother-in-law thanked him immediately. She said, “I needed to hear this. It hurt so much when you blamed me for your troubles.” And they wept. For the next two weeks I witnessed this man stand guard outside her room, praying and participating in her last days. I listened as he asked the rest of the family for forgiveness. And saw them weep from the healing love of God. I watched as he helped lift his sister’s lifeless body onto the gurney for her final road toward home. He was in pain but was healed. He was washed in sorrow but cleansed from forgiveness. And he knew he was loved.

Who do you need to forgive right now?

Who do you need to ask for forgiveness?

It’s time for healing.

From Why? to What?

October 25, 2026October 14, 2026 krisshetter

First published May 23, 2022 as part of the Lessons from Cherith series.

“He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?” Luke 24:38

During the time in my own land of Cherith, a place where I was separated from my regular way of life and exposed to great sadness, I desperately needed to rely on the vast promises of God. Yet each day I wrestled with the “why” of it all. Why didn’t the doctors recognize the rising cancer markers in my beloved mother-in-law’s blood tests? Why did each visit to the emergency room end without answers? But more importantly, why would this woman, a shining light for God, an inspiring gift to everyone around her, a woman whose pastor reflected at her funeral that she seemed surrounded by a beautiful aura, be stricken with cancer and taken so soon? Why God, oh why?

How often have we lamented that why question in our lives? Why are we suffering financially? Why is my child rebelling? Why is my marriage on the rocks? Why did I suffer that abuse? As Christians, we often feel expected to answer those questions. I believe many of us hesitate to share the Gospel because we fear being asked life’s difficult “why” questions.

As a young college student who was approached one day on my campus by two religious folks, I too asked the big why – why is there suffering? I believed in God, but I didn’t really know Him. Unfortunately, neither did these two young proselytizers.

I recently heard the statement: “If we view the world as a Christian, it all makes sense.” On the surface that’s a real head scratcher since this world seems so upside down especially now. Broken families, broken lives, so much pain and death abound. But take a step back, way back to Genesis 3.

“To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.” Genesis 3:17-18

And that’s just a taste of what man’s rebellion wrought. Creation is currently at odds with God. And just as cells divide and life moves without our intervention, our world around us is no longer under our full dominion. So yes, there’s floods and fire and famine and cancer. And it has absolutely nothing to do with whether we are a good person or not. In addition to this result of The Fall, we became separated from God, always seemingly looking for ways to buck His system. And we face the consequences for our actions, both individually and collectively.

“Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” Exodus 5:1-2

We know how well that went for Pharaoh. But what was Moses’ first reaction after Pharaoh knuckled down and made the Israelites work harder? “Why?” He asked God why did He have to make things worse and why did Moses have to be the brunt of everything? From a Christian point of view, we should say, “There’s consequences in this world when anyone chooses to not submit – whether you choose to believe in God or not.” This is not “Karma,” it’s simply a cause and effect of acting outside God’s desires for us.

While we may cry out, “why?!” in the moment whether in situations of our own making or of those in which we have no power, we need to remember the “what.” What is God doing in me or even in the world? What is God expecting of me as a believer? What is the promise I can hold on to? The early Israelites had a decent excuse. They didn’t know God as well as we do now. They didn’t have all the stories of how He has rescued and protected His people. They didn’t have Jesus’ brother James telling them there will be trials and in them they need to seek the lessons of God. They didn’t have Jesus come to earth and die for their sins. They didn’t have the Book of Revelation. But we do.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Day after day, as I sat beside Bev’s bed while her body succumbed, not to cancer but to infection, I fought the persistent question of “why.” I wanted someone punished. I wanted someone to suffer like I was now suffering. Then I heard a whisper, “She gets to come home to me. And you need to see what I am teaching you.”

You see even in her suffering, on her death bed, this Christian called Bev was a conduit for Jesus. A teacher and a comforter. I finally realized it didn’t matter the “why.” For one, there really were no answers that fully satisfied. At times like that we just need to submit to God’s sovereignty and say, “I don’t know but He does.” The only real answers that I continued to come back to were the “what.”

What did I truly believe about God? And what was He trying to teach me?

Christian Friend, if you earnestly believe the Bible, believe that God is the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth and all its inhabitants, if you believe He is sovereign and He sent His Son to die for our sins, if you believe that there is a place greater than Eden awaiting us then you could understand why Bev wasn’t worried. Why she could make us all laugh at her darkest hour. Why, in the middle of a conversation she looked over my shoulder, waved and with a child-like voice exclaimed in joy, “Hi Jesus!”

^“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2

I didn’t need to know the answers to my worldly questions and I definitely didn’t need retribution. I needed to remember that Jesus hates death because it’s a sign of our broken world. Even now, He is preparing a place more beautiful than I can imagine. When He comes back we will all be raised up to live forever in a beautiful place that has no suffering, no death, no pain, no war, no hate, no fear. And that is just what I needed to learn.

Are you asking “why” in your difficult time when you should be asking “what?”

What is the Lord teaching or asking you right now?

He Will Provide

October 24, 2026October 14, 2026 krisshetter

First published May 16, 2022 as part of the Lessons from Cherith series.

“The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down”. Psalm 145:14

We had come to Colorado after receiving the news – my mother-in-law’s constant bowel pain was the result of peritoneal cancer, a rare and deadly disease. She had never fully recovered from her battle with uterine cancer, diagnosed just eighteen months earlier. Her cancer markers were clear, yet the persistent abdominal pain continued to sideline her. We will never know why it wasn’t discovered sooner but there are blessings even in that.

And so, after setting her up on hospice and determining that additional in-home care wouldn’t be sufficient and was well beyond what my father-in-law could afford, I offered to stay longer. As I said goodbye to my husband who needed to get back to San Diego for work, I found myself wrestling with familiar self-doubt.. “I’m not good at this kind of thing,” I said to myself. “I’m not a sweet, kind, compassionate person,” I lamented. “I never know what to say in difficult times,” I fretted.

I was scared to face day-to-day the woman I love as my own mother as she lay living out her last days. I was worried about how to be around my quiet father-in-law. I definitely was concerned how to handle all her friends who wanted to visit and needed a shoulder to cry on. Then, in the midst of all those fears, I remembered God.

“He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.” Psalm 111: 4-5

I went for a walk and soaked in the beauty of the Colorado mountains and realized I didn’t need to have all those gifts. He has blessed me with so many other gifts that were needed – organizing, communication, and more. And what I now needed was to lean on Him for the rest of what was required.

My BSGs had just finished Shirley Giles Davis’ study book, God. Gifts. You. Which takes a deep dive into the list of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit. Coincidentally, she lives and works in Boulder, Colorado, just a few miles from where I now found myself needing the strength of God’s gifts. She reminded us that our gifts can be used for good and have their own pitfalls if used incorrectly. She showed us how God’s beautiful world can only function properly when we appreciate and honor the intricate ways all people’s gifts are used in harmony.

“As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me.” Psalms 55:16

And so, I called on God in humility. I thanked Him for the blessings of financial security that helped me be there. I listed in thankfulness the gifts of the Holy Spirit which have been endowed to me. And I prayerfully spoke the following:

“Lord, I cannot do this without you. I don’t have the right words for the right moments so I need the Holy Spirit to speak for me. I don’t have the strength for this gracious Father. I need you to keep me strong and lifted or I will fail. Only through your loving grace, using my gifts that I have been blessed with and you filling in the rest will I be able to glorify you and help Bev and all those around her. Please Lord speak in place of my words and be my strength.” Amen

His intervention was immediate as He surrounded me with His love and peace. All those worries and fears dissipated. For the next three weeks, the Holy Spirit sustained me and spoke through me. He comforted friends who left Bev’s room in tears. He guided conversations with family members who grieved differently than I did. He ministered to Bev as I read Psalms aloud each day. And He kept me from being tired and weak. I could wake at any hour with ease to administer medication, keep the house clean, and make meals for the ever-changing number of people at the house. He provided, just as He promises, just as He always has.

“You are my strength, I sing praises to you; you, God are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.” ‘ Psalms 59:17

My BSGs recently completed Priscilla Shirer’s study on Elijah. In her week 6 video she mentions the definition of faith as aligning our entire life with God’s 8,000 promises found in His Word. Our faith doesn’t need to be some mysterious feeling that is undefinable. Faith is simply believing God’s promises and living as though they are true.

That’s what Elijah did when he went, as directed by God, to Cherith — a lonely, dry, desolate place. God provided in extraordinary ways, sending ravens with food and sustaining him with water for nearly two years. Elijah knew he couldn’t make it on his own. He needed God to survive. His own knowledge and abilities were not enough. God would need to fill in where he was lacking.

Friends, God promises over and over to provide for us. The Bible is filled with endless stories of His provision. Our own lives are testimonies to those provisions. Sometimes we just need to remember to humbly ask for Him to provide where we are weak and not gifted.

The morning my beloved Bev went home to our Father I was blessed again to have God show me how much He had answered my prayer. I needed some alone time so I decided to take a shower. As I stood in the bathroom waiting for the water to warm up, I suddenly felt a huge weight press on me – like an anvil was placed on each shoulder. I cried out in surprise and then it was gone. I knew He was showing me what He had sheltered me from for the last few weeks. And although I am still experiencing the grief of Bev being gone from this earth, that heavy weight has never returned. I can thank God and the Holy Spirit for being my weight bearers. And I can thank God that He will provide in our weakest moments.

Where in your life do you need to ask for God’s provision?
Where do you feel insufficient and weak? Ask Him today He will provide!

I’m Fine, It’s Fine

October 23, 2026October 14, 2026 krisshetter

First published January 31, 2022 as part of the New Beginnings series.

“Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.” Esther 4:13

In a way, I hope you’ve never heard of Annie Lobert. But, if you or someone dear to you has ever found themselves trapped in the world of sex-trafficking and drug abuse I pray that God would lead you to Annie. She started out as an ordinary girl from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She became a prostitute, exotic dancer and drug addict. To make more money she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada with her then boyfriend who soon took her ID, her cell phone and every penny she earned, in effect turning her into a sex slave. After five years of physical abuse she escaped her pimp. In 2003, Ms. Lobert found herself in a hospital, the result of a cocaine overdose. As she tells her story this was the moment she finally took a true stock of her life and turned to God.

With the support of a former customer who loved her and her newfound faith, Ms. Lobert left prostitution and began a new life. The former customer trained her in estimates and service reviews in order to work with him at his auto body and design firm. It is a powerful story of God’s intervention in the life of a nonbeliever and sinner. To some, she was a “throwaway,” someone so entrenched in sin that change seemed impossible. And by all accounts her story, if it ended there, would sound admirable and a great testimony to God’s love for all people. But that wasn’t His plan.

In fact, if you read all the stories in the Bible, God’s gift of pulling us from the fiery furnace is never the end of the story. It’s never the end of His expectations of us. It’s always a new beginning.

“The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.” Esther 2:17

The story of Queen Esther has some disturbing parallels to Annie Lobert’s. After becoming an orphan, Esther (a Jewess originally named Hadassah) was raised, by all accounts, by a good and decent Jewish cousin named Mordecai. However, when King Xerxes decided he needed a new queen he called for all the most beautiful young women to be brought (kidnapped) into his harem. Night after night these very young virgins were raped by the King. They were then placed amongst his concubines. Stripped of their names, their families, their everything, they became sex slaves.

And Esther, who was eventually selected as the new queen, could end her story at reaching such a high status. She had received wisdom and help from the right people – pagans and Jews. She had attendants, great food, a comfortable life. In fact, when palace intrigue resulted in a decree to kill the 15 million Jews scattered throughout King Xerxes’ dominion she was insulated from the information. When word came via a messenger that her cousin, a palace official, was at the gates in torn sackcloth crying in despair her response was simply to send him new clothes. She didn’t want to know what caused him so much grief. Her life was good. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.

“Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people.” Esther 4:8

It was not known by the king and his people that Esther or even Mordecai were Jews. But Mordecai’s very public reaction to the decree made their background known. And therefore, he implored Queen Esther to act on the Jew’s behalf. She was uniquely positioned to petition the king for relief. But she initially refused out of fear. She refused because the king still didn’t know she was a Jew so why not just leave it that way? Why rock the boat? I’m fine. It’s fine.

She had decided when her God-given new beginning would stop. For some of us that’s where we stop. God has rescued us over and over and over. He has placed us just where He wants us and we stop. We thank Him for the past with our words and don’t plan on thanking Him with our works. I’m fine. It’s fine.

But you can see by today’s first Bible verse Mordecai reminds Esther that she too will be swept away eventually. That the decree will come to all of them. She finds herself at a crossroads of sorts. To speak to the king without being called by him might mean death. To not speak up for the Jews will probably also mean death. For some of us we get stuck here. Fretting about what to do. And Esther finally decides to show the Lord her commitment to Him — to continue her new beginning.

“Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai,“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:15-16

She, in effect, prays. And she trusts. God had placed her with Mordecai, who himself had good standing in the government. He placed her with Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem with whom she found favor. Hegai imparted wisdom on how to act and speak around the king. God placed her as Queen. God put all the players in place for Queen Esther to bring about the removal of an evil man from the court and overturn the death sentence for the Jews. And the new edict which she helped the king craft elevated the Jews to such a place that “many people of other nationalities became Jews.” (Esther 8:17) And to this day, the Jews celebrate Purim in her honor.

“God is preparing His heroes and when the opportunity comes He can fit them in to their places in a moment and the world will wonder where they came from.” AB Simpson

You and I are being prepared to be ordinary heroes. You and I have been rescued by God already so many times and placed here, right now for these times. But too many of us say, “I’m fine, it’s fine.” We say it by telling ourselves, our Christian friends, our pastors, that we aren’t needed by God or we don’t have enough time. We have retired and now want to coast. We say we are happy where we are and don’t need to send God a “thank you note” by obeying His Great Commission. We say we feel uncomfortable feeding His sheep. We say we don’t need a new beginning.

Warren Wiersbe issues this warning in his commentary on Esther: “God will accomplish His purposes even if his servants refuse to obey.” Esther could’ve been the loser in this story. We either miss out in participating in His full glory like Moses did when he told God not to ask so much of him or we get disciplined like Balaamwhen he refused to do God’s bidding.

If we love God, love the fact that He loved us before we were even out of the womb, we must be compelled to be His servants instituting His plans. I heard a pastor today say we need to “Get in, Get out, or Get Run Over!” Complacency in faith, complacency with the gifts God has given us is no faith at all, truly. And it certainly isn’t God’s plan for our new beginning.

“Again, Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” John 21:16

As for Annie Lobert? She came to a crossroads too. She could’ve been like so many Christians and said, “Thanks for saving me Lord” and gone about her life. Instead in 2005, she established Hookers for Jesus, a safe house program in Las Vegas with the mission to Hook (outreach), Hope (Jesus), Help (housing) and Heal (restoration).

Annie Lobert is an ordinary person committed to God’s plan to rescue others from evil. We may not all be in the position to save as many people as she will but if we commit to refusing to remain “fine where we are” and to ask God every morning to place us in positions to share His Word and do His good works we are well on the way to being an ordinary hero. We would be well on our way to our new beginning.

There are such calls in the Bible as “Universal Calls,” ones which every follower of Jesus is called to. One of these is 2 Corinthians 5:17-20:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Not Yet Home

October 21, 2026October 2, 2026 krisshetter

First published on December 8, 2023 as part of the Soli Deo Gloria series.

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:13-14

I had just found out that my boyfriend of three years was seeing another young woman behind my back. I didn’t know her, but she apparently knew all about me. I discovered this betrayal during a surprise visit to my (soon-to-be ex) boyfriend’s house –finding the two of them together. Now, looking back, it seems almost funny that he ran away and she stayed to tell me about the affair. I drove away, anger, sadness, betrayal, and confusion swirling inside me.

As I made my way home those emotions turned to despair. At 18 my world revolved around him. I was crushed and felt broken. Just a few miles from home, driving on the freeway, I did the unthinkable. I looked up and said, “I’d rather die right now.” Then I let go of the wheel.

Thankfully, the usually busy freeway was almost devoid of traffic as my car veered out of its lane and crossed two others. Then came a whisper: He isn’t worth your life. As I grabbed hold the wheel again I realized it wasn’t time for me to go to my eternal home.

I’ll admit that a couple of other times in my life I’ve wished it was my time. The last time I felt that way I finally sought help and realized my menopausal body was in complete disarray. With a caring, thoughtful doctor I went on a small dose of antidepressants to get me through this life transition. At the same time I turned and grabbed hold of the Lord. And I asked Him to heal me.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4

This week my church has taken a deep dive into this passage. This idea of “going home.” The promise Jesus makes to His disciples, and all other believers, is that He has made a beautiful, comforting place for us. We only need to seek Him and believe. But at rare times we yearn so much for that place we go ahead of God and try to take a shortcut. We want to be in control of that timeline because of pain and sadness.

Friend, I want to remind you, however, of two things. First, when Jesus took the glorious and awe-inspiring step to leave His earthly home and join us in the flesh He declared the Kingdom has come. We look to the heavens and dream of that place. But Jesus brought the Kingdom to us. John the Baptist was the first to herald this truth.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2

He came so we would experience great joy, love and peace through Him in this earthly kingdom. He came to give us the great command to love one another as He loves us. We can experience His peace and love right now. We just need to ask Him to show us the path. Throughout Scripture, He reminds us that His great love is not only for His people collectively, but for each of us individually. He loves every single hair on our heads. He can wipe away our tears with a gentle reminder that He loves us so much He took on our pain and suffering.

Secondly, He came to prepare us for an eternal kingdom. He wants each of us to complete our God-given purpose while we are here for a relatively short time. We have a purpose and He has a plan. That purpose? To glorify Him each and every day through our works.

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

Jesus never promises us a physically easy life. A life full of rainbows and unicorns. In fact, He makes it clear to the disciples that we may even be despised by following Him. But He does promise that we won’t be alone, that we can ask for help and He will provide. That we will experience the fruit of the spirit when we love others. And when the time comes we will be welcomed home to join in His glory.

He asks us to live outwardly: serving, washing feet, loving, and making peace. Not worrying about today or tomorrow but trusting in Him. Keeping a watchful eye for the smallest of blessings and sharing them with others. He asks us to live our best and brightest life in service to Him. When we obey and trust in the Lord we find our despair, our anger, our hurt shrink as our hearts grows bigger. Sounds a litte like the Grinch, doesn’t it?

While we aren’t promised to never experience loss or pain we are promised our great Comforter. When He left the heavenly kingdom He opened Himself up to tears, physical pain, and even death. He knows how you feel.

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. … I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” John 14:15-19

Jesus in the most glorious of ways lives in us so that we may live to glorify the Father. To look outward so that He may heal us inwardly. And when we have run our race, touched as many lives as He has planned for us, squeezed every last bit of love we can from our bodies in service to others, He will surely welcome us home.

May all Glory be given to Him alone. Amen

Friend, if you are experiencing overwhelming despair and sadness first look upward to the Lord for help. Seek immediate assistance through the many resources available in your community — possibly through your church, a Christian counseling group or a hotline. If you have a friend or family member you can go to knowing you will be received well, call them today and tell them you need help. You are precious my friend. And you are needed here for a specific piece of God’s plan.

If someone you love or know has talked about suicide here’s some ways to respond (from the Mayo Clinic)

Get help from a trained professional as quickly as possible. Your friend or loved one may need to stay in the hospital until the suicidal crisis passes.
Urge the person to contact a suicide hotline.
- In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Or use the Lifeline Chat. Services are free and confidential.
- U.S. veterans or service members who are in crisis can call 988 and then press “1” for the Veterans Crisis Line. Or text 838255. Or chat online.
- The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the U.S. has a Spanish language phone line at 1-888-628-9454 (toll-free).

His Hand in Mine

October 20, 2026October 2, 2026 krisshetter

First published on December 16, 2023 as part of the Soli Deo Gloria series.

“Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40

Yesterday, I received bad news while at the doctor. For the last few years I have struggled with constant pain and pressure in my left ear. I’ve had two sinus surgeries, a surgery to release pressure in that ear, an eardrum repair surgery, and even recent upper wisdom teeth removal in hopes it would ease the pain on the left side of my face. After another bout of sinus issues, a few months ago the doctor told me I had another pinprick-sizeed hole in my left eardrum. He had hoped it would repair itself. The other night I thought I had an earwax problem so I used some solution to try and clear it — causing intense pain.

So, yesterday I found myself at urgent care for the billionth time complaining about stabbing pain and muted hearing in the left ear. I prayed it would just be ear wax pushing against my eardrum. But after examining my ear the doctor announced my tiny hole was now quite large, again. I couldn’t help myself — I started crying. I probably damaged the ear trying to clear it. And I anticipate the only solution will be yet another painful surgery. Until then, my hearing is muffled and my ear is distractingly painful.

I walked out to my car feeling hopeless again, wondering if God wanted me to be healed. I cried on the phone call to my husband. Beating myself up for probably causing the problem to worsen. Allowing that voice in my head to call me names and doubt the love of God.

Our verse today comes at the end of the account of Lazarus’ death, moments before Jesus raises him from the grave. Martha warns Jesus that removing the stone will reveal the unmistakable reality of death: Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. Earlier, Mary had fallen at Jesus’ feet with words that echo a question many of us have asked: Where were You when I needed You?

“When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:32.

We all, at some point in our lives, have wanted Jesus to intervene for us. We have a plan, an expectation, that if He loved us He would see that plan through. At one point in my Christian journey I would’ve taken the news about my health and let it weigh on me for days or even weeks. ”Why won’t you heal me right now?” ”Don’t you see me, Lord?” Although God tells us to bring all our prayers and petitions before Him, He also wants us to have faith in His plan, not ours.

It may seem cruel that Jesus allowed Lazarus to die. For his family to suffer such pain and loss. Yet God would use even this painful loss to reveal His glory in a way no one present could ignore. What could be more astonishing than the raising of a man everyone knew was dead? Imagine the celebration. Imagine the awe.

“Therefore, many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.” John 11:45

I don’t know what the next steps will be for my health. My ear may be permanently damaged or the doctors, with the guiding hands of God, may be able to repair it. It may even heal on its own (the glory of the Lord at work in our bodies each and every time we experience healing!). I do know I don’t want to be like “some of them (the Jews)” who, instead of seeing God’s hand at work raising Lazarus from the dead, went to the Pharisees and complained. Imagine that, they complained that a man was healing people, even from death!

Whatever comes to pass, I want to see the glory of God working in me and through me– putting His hand in mine. I will rely on Him for strength when the pain overwhelms me. I will look to Him for peace when I begin to despair. I will remember that I am loved and not being “punished” when things go astray. I may cry, I may get sad, I may even worry a bit. He will help change the narrative in my head. And I will ask Him to guide me through this so I may reflect His beautiful light to others.

Soli Deo Gloria. Amen

Gardeners for Life

October 11, 2026September 30, 2026 krisshetter

First published May 5, 2025 as part of the On Being Sanctified series.

“The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.

After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt.” Judges 2:7 & 10-12

In my mind I like gardening. The idea of tilling, planting, and harvesting feels wonderfully earthy and “back to basics.” You lovingly prepare and replenish the soil. Gardeners then carefully select the correct seeds or plants for the coming season. Then, there’s the occasional weeding and keeping watch for pesky bugs. All that work results in a great harvest. Ruby red tomatoes, giant onions, green and shiny cucumbers, and lettuce! Oh, the bountiful array of various lettuces which now blend together for that healthy, homemade salad!

Like I said, however, in my mind. Don’t get me wrong, I have a little garden which right now has onions and garlic and a bit of lettuce and herbs. But after I planted those, I just sort of forgot about them. A week or so ago, after a few days of rain, I realized the entire garden looked like a wild field of weeds. I peeked at it day after day until one day my husband and I decided we absolutely must attack all the weeds around our house. A task I dreaded.

How many of us want to plunk all those plants we so carefully selected at the gardening center into our gardens and then forget about them until harvest time? We forget the work which needs to be done to attain our dream result.

The Diligent Gardener

Our scripture today reflects a similar behavior by the ancient Israelites. God had rescued them from bondage in Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. God went before them as they conquered peoples who practiced idolatry and other evils. Sexual immorality and all manner of other sins were rampant in these cultures. Meanwhile, God was with the Israelites providing food, shelter, and victory.

Within one generation the Israelites knew nothing of this God who so lovingly cared for them. And they “did evil in the sight of the Lord.” One generation.

Years ago, when I was working in marketing and public relations, the graphic designer in my department told me about her homeland. She and her family were originally from Iran. She called herself “Persian,” not Iranian. She explained that when she was young, Iran was a cosmopolitan country. People owned beautiful homes. Women were free to be educated and marry whomever they wished. There were religious freedoms and capitalism.

In 1979, the Ayatollah Khomeini, who had been fomenting revolt in Iran from France, returned to Iran. This sparked a revolution to unseat the monarchy. Within a year, the pro-western country was transformed into a brutal theocracy. In less than 50 years, most westerners only know Iran as it is now. One in which women are imprisoned and tortured for not covering themselves from head to toe. A regime which threatens any democracy that tries to grow in the middle east, and really beyond. Less than a generation.

“Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.” 1 Timothy 4:15

Paul warns in his letter to Timothy about the importance of diligence. How diligence, also called stewardship, affects our sanctification journey. Throughout the Bible we see God’s warning about being good stewards of His Word. It’s a constant drumbeat because too often, we seek to take all we have learned about God and for a while we are eagerly obedient to Him. Then we begin to coast.

I had an older friend tell me a couple years ago that she wasn’t interested in volunteering at church because she had already “been there, done that.” She said it was time to relax and “coast.” I had to remind her of this scripture:

“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children.” Titus 2:3-4

Work To Be Done

No matter our current place along our sanctification journey, God has gardening work for us to do. It may be planting, watering, weed pulling, bug spraying, or harvesting. All done for the glory of God at the time of His coming. All done to keep His Word close to the hearts of generations to come.

“So, Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13

Friends, ask yourself today in this first look at godly stewardship, are you coasting? Are you saying, “I’ve done the initial work and now it’s someone else’s job to do the weeding?” You have been trained and equipped for a purpose. It’s most likely not something lofty like being a bestselling Christian author or famous missionary. No, most of us have been equipped to get down on our knees in the dirt and work the soil.

King Solomon once lamented that he put in the hard work of building his kingdom, which might ultimately be enjoyed by an heir who had done nothing to earn it. Jesus says, work now in helping build my kingdom and you will reap the benefits come harvest time. And we will dance together with joy.

Jesus calls us to labor faithfully in His kingdom now, trusting Him with the harvest. So this week, look at the patch of ground God has placed in front of you. Is there work you have been leaving for someone else? What is one faithful thing you can do today?

Enjoying A Wisdom Filled Life

October 10, 2026October 2, 2026 krisshetter

First published April 15, 2024 as part of the Enjoy Life: from meaningless to meaningful series

A teenager asked his father if he could go to an unsupervised party where there would surely be drinking. He denied his request. “Aw Dad, why not?” he complained. “I’m in high school now!” Dad replied: “Because some will drink and the party could get out of control.” “But, Dad, those are just very small parts of the party! “My answer is ‘no,’ and that is my final answer. You are welcome to stay home tonight, invite some of your friends over. But you will not go to that party. End of discussion.”

The teenager walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped down on the couch. As he sulked, he was surprised to hear the sounds of his father preparing something in the kitchen. He soon recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and he thought, “Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he’s going to try to make it up to me with some fresh brownies. Maybe I can soften him up with lots of praise when he brings them out to me and persuade him to let me go to that party after all.”

The teen was not disappointed. Soon his father appeared with a plate of warm brownies. He took one. Then his father said, “Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I love you very much. That is why I’ve made these brownies from scratch with the very best ingredients. The best stone-milled flour. The best free-range eggs. The best organic pure cane sugar. Premium vanilla and the finest chocolate.” The brownies looked mouth-watering.

“There is one ingredient not normally found in brownies. I only added a tiny amount, so small you probably wouldn’t even notice. Go ahead and try one.”

“Dad, what is the mystery ingredient before I eat it?” the teen asked. Dad answered, “Why? The portion I added was so small. Just a teaspoonful. You won’t even taste it.” The teen said, “Come on, Dad; just tell me what it is.”

“Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is organic…dog poop.” The teen instantly dropped his brownie back on the plate and began inspecting his fingers with horror. “DAD! Why did you do that? You’ve tempted me by making me smell the brownies cooking for the last half hour, and now you tell me that you added dog poop! I can’t eat these!”

Dad smiled. “Why not? It’s only a tiny amount compared to everything else in the brownies.”

It won’t hurt you. It’s been cooked right along with the other ingredients and you won’t even taste it. Go ahead and eat it.” His son replied, “No, never.”

The wise dad continued, “And that is the same reason I won’t allow you to go to that party. You won’t tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why should you tolerate a little immorality in your life? We pray that God will not lead us unto temptation. So how can you in good conscience entertain yourself with something that could easily get you into trouble?”

The teenager lowered his head, then looked up at his Dad. He smiled. He finally understood. He never did go to high school parties where there was drinking.

Ah, the wisdom of a father. Don’t most parents wish and hope we can provide such clever and wise examples to their children? And best of all, they listen and obey? But alas, so much wisdom dispensed, even to us, falls on deaf ears. We know better and usually think we can do better than the person trying to save us from heartache or hardship.

The Old Testament can be broken into four categories of books. The Pentateuch (the first 5 books), Israel’s history, the prophets, and then wisdom. Two entire books, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, have as their focus the topic of wisdom. It must be something God finds very important in the lives of us humans. Yet, wisdom and the enjoyment of having a life filled with it, seems so elusive to many.

We all have that family member, friend, neighbor, co-worker or acquaintance who causes us to scratch our heads each time they make yet another disastrous decision. A decision that looks a lot like the same mistake they made last time when they sloughed off good advice. Or maybe that person is…you.

Much of the wise advice we hear throughout our lives has its roots somewhere in the book of Proverbs, authored mostly by King Solomon. In Ecclesiastes 7 & 8, he goes on to remind us to seek wisdom but that wisdom, by itself, is not to be the end-goal. He should know. Having asked God to grant him the wisest mind, he eventually managed to really mess up his life pursuing all manner of fleshly desires of which his gift of wisdom afforded him by becoming a wealthy king. He became the poster boy for “do as I say, not as I do.”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Proverb 9:10

Had he followed his own wise counsel he might have produced offspring that didn’t want to betray him or destroy the kingdom once they were in power. It’s a good lesson to learn when we dispense wisdom to our fellow, earthly travellers. As Jesus once reminded us, remove the log out of your own eye before you comment on the speck of another.

All that aside, it appears that at the end of Solomon’s life he recognized so many of his faults, sins or indiscretions. The result was his study of life in Ecclesiastes. And with that we get such wonderful pearls as:

‘For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.” Ecclesiastes 7:12

If there is one thing, after seeking Christ, that we should pursue throughout life, it is wisdom. It’s not easily gained. Often, gaining wisdom requires suffering first. Isn’t that what we so often try to impart to others? How to avoid pain, suffering, loss by taking our hard-earned advice?

“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” Hebrews 12:7-8

Like the son in the brownie story all of us need discipline sometime in our lives. It’s the first step in wisdom seeking. The person who learns from their mistakes or experiences (or others’) gains one step closer to being wise. One step closer to living a peaceful, joy-filled life.

“None of us can come to the highest maturity without enduring the summer heat of trials.” Charles Spurgeon

“The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” Ecclesiastes 7:4

Solomon isn’t telling us in the above verse to not have a good and happy life. What he is saying is our seeking joy and happiness at all costs is a shallow goal and not wise. When our yearning for closeness to God can only be satisfied during joyful times, we miss out on the richness that tough times can bring.

Life, as we all know, isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. As he has said throughout Ecclesiastes, life is frequently about toiling and repetitiveness. Wisdom is rarely sought and found while we are whooping it up at a party.

Wisdom is found before we enter the door and remember the terrible hangover we had that last time. Or the fight you and your spouse got into because of inappropriate behavior at the neighborhood BBQ. Or even maybe the DUI your friend got when you drove home together. When we brush all that aside for a “good time,” we’ve entered into the land of folly.

Wisdom is gained by remembering. Remembering the wise words shared with you. Remembering the results of poor decisions, either by yourself or someone you know.

Wisdom isn’t just knowledge. My mother-in-law was a very wise person. She didn’t go to college, she didn’t have some big shot important job. She was a mom, a sometimes employee at dress shops and florists. She was a devoted Christian and a ready-hand at many volunteer events. She was creative and quick-witted. And she dispensed wisdom with ease. Wisdom gained from a dirt poor childhood with an alcoholic dad. From watching her brother make one bad decision after another ending up on drugs and in jail. She didn’t need self-help books to know about life, she lived it and remembered it.

“To know is not to be wise. To know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” Charles Spurgeon

Friend, in this first look at wisdom let’s make a good evaluation of our own lives. Are we enjoying a life of wisdom or are you continuing to make the same bad decisions? Are you saying “talk to the hand” when someone who has wise words wants to impart them to you? Do you brush aside past mistakes as Solomon did thinking things will be different this time? Have you prayed, as King Solomon did, to the Lord asking for wisdom, in each and every aspect of your life?

Wisdom will keep you from the extremes, as Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes verse 7:9 It will preserve you, your good name Ecc 7:1, your family and other relationships. Seek first to be obedient to God and then ask Him for insight and wisdom.

I want to leave you today with a prayer that many may be familiar with written by theologian Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971), called the Serenity Prayer.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.

Enjoying A Wisdom Filled Life Part Two now available! Click here

Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness

October 9, 2026October 2, 2026 krisshetter

First published June 6, 2023 as part of the Christian Life In Full Bloom series

Charles Spurgeon once wrote that if God took full license of His greatness and majesty we would surely be trampled under His feet. Instead, God, Himself, displays the most magnificent teaching of gentleness for us all to experience. He holds back in His anger, judgment, and frustration. He is long-suffering and meek in His dealings with us.

King David, with all his power and authority, mirrored this meekness and humility often when he wrote of God in the psalms.

“You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and gentleness made me great.” Psalm 18:35

God’s gentleness made King David great. It seems like an odd statement to make. You would think he would say “your strength” or “your authority” is what bolstered the king. No, instead he sought to point out the gentleness of God. And I wonder, how often do we stop to realize just how gentle God has been with us?

The unbeliever or borderline Christian may never fully appreciate this character trait of God. An unrepentant sinner doesn’t see the need to apologize to anyone for doing life as they see fit. They consider there to be no authority which will one day sit in judgment of them. Therefore, they don’t have the viewpoint that God is being so, so patient with them. Each day on this place we call Earth that the non-believer merrily lives a life in direct conflict with the fruit of the Spirit (ie: hatred, discord, jealousy, selfishness, idolatry, rage, sexual immorality) is another day in which God is showing His gentleness. A day that God has given them to hear His voice before the final judgment.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29

Imagine hearing a man say He is God, a man of flesh and blood, yet tell you He is gentle and humble. You can’t point to any other person in history, besides Jesus, that would say that and be believable. The Pharisees expected the Messiah to come in on a mighty steed to the sounds of trumpets. He was to slay all of Israel’s enemies and lay claim to all land and treasure. He was to pronounce all those suffering without fair trial in jail free to leave the prisons. He was to place the Jews at the top of all humanity.

Instead, as He rose from the waters of baptism by John, a dove appeared over His head. A symbol of peace and gentleness. There was no lightning. There were no earthshattering sounds. Just the sound of water dripping from His body and a cooing dove. And yet, a revolutionary was set on His designated path.

So often I hear Christians and non-Christians talk about meeting God face to face. At the pearly gates of heaven, they imagine a conversation about whether their “nice list” is greater than their “naughty list.” But let’s back up. Moses, himself, could not look directly at God or he would have certainly died on the spot. God’s power was so great He had to put some of it into a burning bush for a visual of sorts. And even then, Moses was admonished to not come too close and to clean his feet in reverence.

We humans while we are alive on earth can only see God as a shadow or a lesser representation because we would be so overwhelmed by His presence. So now understand the meekness He had to undertake to become flesh and blood.

“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis

Jesus said He was God. Jesus performed miracles as God. Jesus warned of judgment as God. So, either we believe He is God or we must throw away everything He said as a crazy person. And if we believe He is God then we should be amazed at how gentle and humble He truly was while here on earth. He didn’t once look at a Pharisee and afflict him with a terrible illness. He didn’t lay waste to the soldiers who came to arrest Him. No, He was patient with everyone. Teaching, showing, loving us into His coming kingdom.

“No destroying angel smote the men who spat in his face, no devouring flame burned up those who scourged him. The force of his life was the omnipotence of gentle goodness. He did not lay the weight of his little finger upon the minds of men to compel them to involuntary subjection; his conquests were such as led men in willing captivity.” Charles Spurgeon

As we reflect on the fruit of the Spirit this week, remember that gentleness is not weakness. Our God possesses infinite power and authority, yet He deals patiently and tenderly with us. May His gentleness shape the way we treat others as we learn to call Him Abba, Father.