The fruit of the Spirit (VIII) Gentleness

A gentle person is said to be kind or tender, sensitive, moderate in action, not harsh or severe. Some dictionaries add mild, but this does not seem to be the force of the Greek. Meek is better, in the sense of being humble. Jesus was gentle and meek (humble) but He was never mild. In particular, He spoke the truth clearly when warranted. “Woe unto you Scribes Pharisees” (Matthew 23:13) is anything but mild. And since Jesus is gentle, being gentle does not preclude speaking the truth in love. His words to the Scribes and Pharisees were words or warning, spoken so as to bring the possibility of repentance and salvation!

In a Psalm of David sung on the occasion of his deliverance from his enemies, David could write “Your gentleness has made me great” (2 Samuel 22:1,36). And it struck me again this morning, that for better or worse, we take on the qualities of what we “worship” be it love, or hate, or money or in this case God. Perhaps that is why we are commanded to Worship only Him (Matthew 4:10).

It is interesting to me that often when I am spending time in the Scriptures, within a very short time I find myself being tested on the very thing I was meditating on. Knowing that I was going to be blogging on gentleness, I have been thinking about it on and off for a few days. And in a negotiation I was conducting, the other party suddenly introduced a whole new bunch of issues. My response was appropriately firm as we approached my bottom line, but I was gently reminded of the concept of gentleness which was lacking. And I immediately repented. I have learned to keep short accounts with God!

Father, I thank You that there is no condemnation in Christ. Thank You also that I have come to the place where I can be nudged like this without beating myself up. And since this is all part of my becoming more like You, I can come through this without loosing my joy. I sense that I am finally becoming childlike as I welcome such nudges, as part of the growth process. I also want to thank You for the reminder not to strive. These qualities are fruit of Your Spirit, and fruit does not strive. In Jesus Name Amen