Devotionals by Pastor Rick Warren

“Pursue what God approves of: a godly life, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:11 (GW)

Do you want to be attractive? You might say you don’t care about being good-looking—but attractiveness goes much deeper than the skin. An attractive person often appeals to others more for who they are on the inside than how they look on the outside.

The Bible says that, if you want to be more attractive, you need to learn to be gentle: “Pursue what God approves of: a godly life, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11 GW).

Gentleness is strength under control. It’s one of the marks of someone who follows Jesus. And gentleness makes you more attractive to the people around you.

The Bible tells the story of Ruth and Boaz, two gentle people who were attracted to each other and ended up changing the world together. 

Boaz was a successful young farmer. One day he saw strangers out in his field taking what was left after his workers had harvested. This wasn’t unusual; it was common for the poor to find food that way. 

But he noticed in particular a young woman named Ruth. She was poor because her husband had died, leaving her with very little. Her mother-in-law also was a widow, and Ruth had decided to stay with Naomi to care for her. Why did Ruth do that? Because she was gentle; she had strength under control.

When Boaz saw Ruth in his field, he could have demanded she leave. Instead, he allowed her to continue picking from his field and even commended her for caring for her mother-in-law.

Ruth responded by saying, “You are very kind to me, sir. You have made me feel better by speaking gently to me” (Ruth 2:13-14 GNT).

Eventually, Boaz invited Ruth to share a meal with him. She ate until she was satisfied, and then he gave her more food to take home. He was kind; he was gentle. He was a powerful man and chose to keep that strength under control and use it to care for other people.

Boaz and Ruth married, and their great-grandson was King David. And it was through King David’s line that Jesus eventually was born.

Are you attractive to other people? Do you have a gentleness that makes other people want to be around you, like Ruth and Boaz? 

If not, you can change that today by intentionally pursuing the things God approves of—starting with gentleness!

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Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.