Walk in the Spirit of Gentleness by Rosemary Legrand

The word of God taught us that we are saved by grace and that is a gift. In order for us to affectively embrace all that we are taught, I believe we must also operate in the “fruit of the Spirit.”

Today I chose one of the fruits of the Spirit and that is “gentleness.” But before I begin I would like to lay a foundation with the passage about the fruit of the Spirit found in the Bible. Galatians 5:22–23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Colossians 3:12 provides an addendum: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

First, I must say that many people have branded me as gentle and soft spoken, but as I was preparing this blog to encourage you in the Spirit of Gentleness. I realize there is more to being gentle and soft spoken. So I looked up the meaning of “gentleness’ and found there are a lot of different ways to dissect the word “gentleness.” Gentleness is “the quality of being considerate or kind in disposition, being friendly and tender, mild and soft, refined and polite.” And the opposite of gentleness is “harsh or severe.” As I pondered the definition, I considered Jesus, He is all powerful, but never misuses his power. He is gentle with his unruly children (us) He is the perfect father who never reacts in anger. Someone who is walking by the Spirit is going to be a gentle person.  No matter what the circumstances, they will remain gentle. Not because of weakness but because of the strength that Jesus provides. “We can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.” (Philippians 4:13).

Jesus gave us the perfect picture of gentleness in Matthew 21:5: “See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey.” And now He offers us His gentleness as a gift. If we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will be filled with all of the fruit of the Spirit and will be gentle like Jesus.

When we are filled with the Spirit’s fruit of gentleness, we will correct others with calmness instead of arguing in resentment and anger, we will forgive readily, because any offense toward us is nothing compared to our offenses against God. When we are filled with the spirit of gentleness, competition and hatred will disappear, as the goal becomes less about ourselves and more about people seeing the Christ in us. The word of God says; “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:6). As we walk in the fruit “gentleness,” our behavior must be genuine and consistent because people are constantly watching us.

I told you before, people think I am gentle and soft spoken. Why? That is because they have been watching me. Gentleness also means giving up the right to judge what is best for us and others. You see, God is not as concerned with our comfort as He is concerned with our spiritual growth. That is why he wants our lives to depict the fruit of the Spirit. He knows how to grow us far better than we do, and offers us His gentleness as a gift.

Remember the value that God places on the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Gentleness also means “putting up with stuff.” So, brand the image of Jesus and His suffering onto your mind and your heart. Clothe yourself in the fruit of the Spirit. And as you “put up with stuff” you will cultivate the fruit of God’s gentleness.

“But in your hearts revere Christ as LORD. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

If you are still struggling to implement any aspect of the fruit, take time to read Gal 5: 22-23 and ask the Holy Spirit to help you. He will because He cannot and will not fail you. 

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Don’t miss our next POP Chat, July 29th on ZOOM at 6:30 p.m.. Dr. Lynnette Simm will be teaching about “How to Find Your Peace” and Renee Rollins will lead our worship for this beautiful one-hour of fellowship. Here’s the link to sign up: https://share.hsforms.com/15bHBupdrTBugXxD9Y8Q_MQ3jo4z