Gentleness

Gentleness is one of the nine fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Gentleness is an important characteristic of Christians. Gentleness does not come naturally, but it is created in us by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit inside us will cause the life of Christ to be manifested through us. The Holy Spirit is gentle, like a dove. He does not force, but draws people to God. 

We do not see many examples of gentleness today in the world. Instead we see much hardness, harshness, rudeness, and lack of kindness, especially from political leaders. We need to look to God and his word to understand gentleness, so we are shaped by the Holy Spirit not by the world.

Jesus was gentle. When he came to Jerusalem, he didn’t come riding on a horse with pomp and power. Instead he came riding a donkey’s colt (Matthew 21:5). This shows his gentleness.

Jesus said he was gentle in heart, and we could come to him and learn from him (Matthew 11:29). The gentleness of Jesus encourages us to come to him and become his disciples. He is not going to attack us or condemn us. He won’t be hard, harsh, or rude. Gentleness draws people to Christ.

“Your gentleness has made me great” (Psalm 18:35). We are made great by God. Because God is gentle, we can come to him and receive his word. God’s gentleness makes him relatable, and his gentleness causes us to grow spiritually.

A gentle answer turns away anger and prevents strife (Proverbs 15:1). Gentle words can heal others, but harsh words can damage them (Provers 12:18). In order to effectively represent God, we need to learn to be gentle.

There are times when it is particularly important to be gentle. One of those times is when we correct others (Galatians 6:1). Sometimes as Christians we need to rebuke others, particularly those in the body of Christ who have gone astray. We should do so gently. 

One who serves God must be gentle to all people, especially when instructing those ensnared by false doctrine (2 Timothy 2:26).

Gentleness is an important quality of a Christian’s life. Gentleness is one of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit that are created in us by God’s power. As Jesus lives his life through us, then we will be gentle, not harsh. If the world is going to see gentleness, they will see it through us, God’s people.