Gentleness: Strength Under Control
Galatians 5:22-23
Spring is a time of renewal, rebirth and rejoicing in new opportunities. As we continue our study on the "Fruit of the Spirit" I thank God for allowing WAGOH this time of bringing new life to our experiences with our thoughts, words and actions.
When is the last time you examined your fruit of gentleness? It's something we just take for granted, but we shouldn't. The fact is gentleness is more needed today than perhaps ever before because we live in such a violent world. Gentleness isn't something we typically think of as being of our Christian character. Being faithful, yes - Having love, yes. But being gentle... well, that sounds almost wrong doesn't it? But of course it isn't; it is very right.
What does it mean to be gentle? The Greek language, in which the N.T. was originally written, was a precise & expressive language. When the Greeks developed a word, they not only gave it a careful definition, but they almost always illustrated it.
Their definition of gentleness was "power under control," and they illustrated it with the picture of a horse that had been tamed. Gentleness to them was a powerful animal with its power completely under control.
So when you think about gentleness, think about "power under control" - anger under control, jealousy & envy under control, gossip under control, our emotions, ALL under God's control.
Jesus is our perfect example. Let's consider 3 events in His life that demonstrate the gentleness of Jesus; that same gentleness He wants to see displayed in us.
Look at the 4th chapter of the Gospel of John. We see His gentleness in the familiar story about the woman at the well. Vs. 7 says, "When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?' Vs. 9 says, "The Samaritan woman said to Him, 'You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?"
Keep in mind the culture of the day - a man didn't talk publicly to a woman and a Jew certainly didn't associate with Samaritans. So if Jesus had been a normal Jewish man, He would never have spoken to her. But Jesus was deliberately trying to break down the barriers between them.
Well, you know the rest of the story - she taunts Jesus and speaks very unkindly to Him. Yet Jesus responds gently to her. Yes, guilty as charged - married 5 times and now living with a man who is not her husband. But Jesus sees in her more than just a woman who has been married 5 times and now living with someone who isn't her husband. He sees a thirsty, needy person. And He offers her living water that will quench her thirst, not for a moment, but forever.
There's a similar story found in John 8; a story of the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Yes, guilty as charged and Jesus could have judged her harshly. But, Jesus treats her gently. He writes in the sand and shames her accusers into slinking away. Then He says to her, "Neither do I condemn thee. Go your way and sin no more."
There's another story in Luke 19. It is the story of Zacchaeus, the wee little man who gets all his self-esteem from taking money from other people. He's rich and dishonest. But Jesus looks at him and says, "Zacchaeus, come down. I am coming to your house today."
Soon we see a changed Zacchaeus and we hear Jesus saying, "Today, salvation has come to this house."
How would you deal with people like that - dishonest business women or men, immoral women, a woman who has lived with several men, hoping that each one would be the right relationship? How would you deal with that person who comes in takes over while you've been overlooked? Would you judge them harshly? Would you tell them that they're not welcome here? Would you think, how dare you come in and think you're all that? Would you have pretended to embrace them while in your heart questioning their motives or even judging them?
Let me suggest that is exactly what the word "gentleness" is all about, dealing with people who have been broken, twisted, mangled in life or just new to an environment that you have been acculturated to.
Jesus is about building relationships just as His Father. God is relational to His core. Women too, are relational. We care more about relationships then just about anything else. Yet, we will sabotage our relationships with one another by not being honest, not being assertive, by back biting, being too aggressive or passive-aggressive, and by making sarcastic remarks even about individuals we claim to love and respect.
Jesus' motivation is very different. He came to restore. He came to save. And He used Gentleness; "strength under control".
The model for sharing our faith is gentleness. Gentleness is what helps us reach those who don't know the Lord. Gentleness is what helps us have unity among ourselves (the church).
When we allow the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of gentleness in our lives, we will be able to make more of a difference than ever before, in sharing our faith, in cooperating with our friends, in being honest with one another, in receiving righteous criticism, and in living successfully.
The Holy Spirit gives us the fruit of gentleness (strength under control) to create a graciousness in us that combats any tendency to be harsh with people. Paul wrote, "Live with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness) with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another." (Eph. 4:2)
Ask the Lord to give you more of a Christ-like graciousness that springs from a gentle and humble heart in all your relationships.
Gentleness - Pursue it, put it on, practice it and give it to others!
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