Gentleness

Gentleness

For the past several weeks God has been continually putting before me my failures, and the failures of others, in being gentle.  Gentleness needs to be combined with patience, humility, lowliness, and many other of the fruits of the Spirit or else we will fail at being gentle.  One of the things that I have been learning about my heart and the heart of some of my fellow strugglers is that, if we are not careful, gentleness is not an admired quality.  Seen in others, we sometimes speak of gentleness as a weakness more than a strength.  We believe that those who are gentle are pushovers or do not truly see life as it really is.  We, gentle strugglers, are more fit for the reality of life and while we know that God speaks often of being gentle, we lean more into the Jesus who threw out the money changers. Truth is that our Jesus is meek and lowly, even when he threw out the money changers.  We need to learn to be the same.  Want to learn with me?  Below I have listed a section out of the Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology.  I was kind of overwhelmed by the amount of times the Bible refers to gentleness.

Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
Gentleness [N]
Sensitivity of disposition and kindness of behavior, founded on strength and prompted by love.
The Old Testament. Gentleness is suggested by the waters of a stream ( Isa 8:6 ) or by wine flowing over lips and teeth ( So 7:9 ). It stands in contrast to baseness ( Deuteronomy 28:54 Deuteronomy 28:56 ), harshness ( 2 Sam 18:5 ), and wildness ( Job 41:3 ). Gentle words wield great power ( Prov 15:1 ; 25:15 ). Job's counsels were well received, because he spoke them gently ( Job 29:22 ). Gentleness evidences itself in a willingness to yield, reminiscent of a lamb being led to slaughter ( Jer 11:19 ; cf. Isa 53:7 ). The supreme exemplar of gentleness is Israel's God. He cares tenderly for the flock under his care, and "gently leads those that have young" ( Isa 40:11 ). He discloses himself not just in wind and earthquake and fire, but in "a gentle whisper" ( 1 Kings 19:11-13 ). His consolations are spoken gently ( Job 15:11 ). As Yahweh's representative, the messianic king comes in humility and gentleness ( Zec 9:9 ).
The New Testament. That king, now come in the flesh, is "gentle and humble in heart" ( Matt 11:29 ). In accord with the prophecy, he enters Jerusalem in gentleness and lowliness ( Matt 21:5 ). Paul appeals to believers "by the meekness and gentleness of Christ" ( 2 Cor 10:1 ). By his Spirit, Christ cultivates the same quality in his people ( Gal 5:23 ). Following Jesus' example, Paul treats his people gently, "like a mother caring for her little children" ( 1 Thess 2:7 ). He comes to them not "with a whip [but] in love and with a gentle spirit" ( 1 Cor 4:21 ). Church leaders are admonished to be "not violent but gentle" toward persons under their care ( 1 Tim 3:3 ); it is a quality they are avidly to pursue ( 1 Tim 6:11 ). Knowing themselves to be subject to weakness, they can more readily deal gently with the ignorant and the erring. Believers ensnared by sin must be restored gently ( Gal 6:1 ). A witness to Christian truth is the more effective for being made "with gentleness and respect, " especially toward a hostile or an unbelieving listener ( 2 Tim 2:25 ; 1 Peter 3:15 ). The qualities to which gentleness is joined elucidate its setting and character. Wives should seek "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit" ( 1 Peter 3:4 ). "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love, " exhorts Paul ( Eph 4:2 ). Let believers clothe themselves "with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" ( Col 3:12 ). "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" ( Gal 5:22-23 ), a cluster of qualities each of which reinforces and finds expression in the others.


God’s way for us to live our lives is often so counter intuitive to how we would respond and act.  We do not view gentleness as a weapon to fight evil.  We do not view gentleness as a quality that God uses to bring change in other’s lives.  As a believer in Jesus, we have all the gentleness we need.  Given to us in the fruit of the Spirit.  We need to trust that God’s way is better than our aggressive, demanding ways.  So we are called to pursue gentleness.  In our speech, in our actions, in our responses, and more importantly...in our hearts.




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