When God created the world, He saw that it was good (Genesis 1:31). But when the first humans went their own way against God, sin and brokenness messed up that goodness. While we are still made in God’s image, and we like to try to create good things too, we will never reach perfection in our broken world. We make mistakes. We mess up.

For example, I love to write, and a big part of that process is rewriting. I could rewrite a thousand times and never be completely content with my work. It’s easy to get frustrated with myself. Why can’t I get it right? Why can’t it be perfect?

But when Jesus came, He taught us a new way—not one of perfectionism, but of gentleness. He came to His people, as the prophet Zechariah foretold, gentle and riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). Jesus taught His followers to come to Him for rest, because He is “gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:28-30).

As children of God, we are called to clothe ourselves with gentleness—to let our gentleness be obvious to those around us. We can’t do this in our own strength, but the Holy Spirit helps us (Galatians 5:22-23). Often, learning to be gentle with others starts with learning to be gentle with ourselves.

Have you ever tried—and failed—to do something perfectly? Have you ever gotten frustrated with yourself? Have you ever struggled to forgive yourself after making a mistake? You’re not alone. I’ve been there. It’s easy to hold grudges against ourselves. But Jesus promises redemption. He has shown us the ultimate gentleness and forgiveness. We can be gentle with ourselves because He is gentle with us. We can forgive ourselves because He has forgiven us. He took our sin upon Himself when He was nailed to the cross, and He defeated sin and death when He rose from the dead.

One day, our gentle Savior promises to bring forth a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no more sin, no more brokenness. But for now, let’s make the most of our broken world. Instead of striving for perfection, we can rest in Jesus’s forgiveness and live in the way of gentleness and grace. After all, that’s how we will show people glimpses of Jesus Christ. • Becca Wierwille

• Do you sometimes feel like you need to be perfect or do something exactly right?

• How might knowing that God is gentle with us help us to be gentle with ourselves and others?

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