Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

My name's Bill Crowder, and I've entitled today's reading Set Apart.

In November of 1742, a riot broke out in Staffordshire, England, to protest against the gospel message Charles

Wesley was preaching. It seems Charles and his brother John were changing some long-standing

church traditions, and that was too much for many of the townsfolk. When John Wesley heard about

the riot, he hurried the Staffordshire to help his brother. Soon, an unruly crowd surrounded the place where John was staying.

Courageously, he met face-to-face with their leaders,

speaking with them so serenely that one by one their anger was assuaged.

Wesley's gentle and quiet spirit calmed an angry mob,

but it wasn't a gentleness that occurred

naturally in his heart. Rather, it was the heart of the Savior whom Wesley followed so closely.

Jesus said in Matthew 11,

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.

This yoke of gentleness became the true power behind the Apostle Paul's challenge to us in

Ephesians chapter 4. Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love.

In our humanness, such patience is impossible for us, but by the fruit of the spirit in us,

the gentleness of the heart of Christ can set us apart and equip us to face a hostile world.

When we do, we fulfill Paul's words in Philippians.

Let your gentleness be evident to all.

Today's our daily bread devotional scripture reading is from Ephesians 4 29 to 32.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building

others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

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