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BEING GENTLE

To be gentle is to harbor a quality of the Lord Jesus; it is evidence of the transformational work of the Spirit in one’s life. Gentleness, politeness and meekness are not weaknesses as the world sees them, but rather strengths exhibited by a person who chooses to be humble.

Paul exhorts the church at Crete to be gentle with one another and show courtesy to all people. Perhaps this is a lost trait in a bustling city like ours. We are all so busy and have grown accustomed to raising our voices and dealing harshly with people thinking it is the only way to get a job done. The opposite of gentleness is harshness, anger or violence and this is the way the world rolls. The other day I caught myself being hard with the person who does my bike servicing (even though I was not angry or upset), thinking that only then would he take me seriously and not for a ride in doing a sloppy job. The Spirit of God immediately pointed out my folly and I began to pray for gentleness in all my dealings.

Proverbs rightly says that when situations are heating up and leading to an argument, ‘A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger ‘(15:1). It also points out that gentleness is not a sign of weakness but of strength, saying that it has the capacity to break a bone, figuratively speaking, of course- ‘Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone’ {Proverbs 25:15}, meaning, gentle speech does what it seems, at first, least capable of doing- it overcomes obstacles which are as strong as bones.

Rather than attempting to persuade a person(s) with harsh or angry words, one ought to do it with gentleness, which can overturn the hardest, most stubborn of hearts. Even while correcting the misdemeanor of an individual or those opposing us, we are urged to deal gently and calmly (Gal 6:1, 2Tim 2:25). When questioned about our faith, we are told to be ready to give an answer regarding the hope we have, not by arguing, but rather, with gentleness and respect. God values gentleness, which is why it is said,’ the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit is of great worth in God's sight.’ 1 Peter 3:4

The CHALLENGE to Change:

Pray for gentleness to be nurtured in you, replacing all harshness and anger. Let us decide to follow the Lord’s command in all our relationships, to be wise as serpents, yet gentle as doves (Matthew 10:16).