The fruit of the Spirit is . . . gentleness

October 21, 11:46 AMCleveland Biblical Living ExaminerChris Hepner

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Fruit of the Spirit

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger – Proverbs 15:1

Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience – Colossians 3:12

When some people hear the word “gentle,” they think “weak.” Society tells us that we need to stand up for ourselves and be tough. When they hear that Jesus was gentle (Matt. 11:29; 21:5), they may become confused. How can Jesus, who is all-powerful, also be gentle?
Gentleness means strength under control which is a perfect description of Jesus. To speak gently does not mean that we cannot be assertive, but it means that we do not yell and scream to get our point across. The truth is, the more a person yells, the more other people stop listening to him. This also incites others to yell back, leading to chaos. We have the best chance of being heard when we tell the truth in a calm but determined manner.
Colossians puts gentleness along side compassion, kindness, and humility. Our goal as Christians is to reach out to others and show them the love of Christ. We should never want to hurt other people. When we seek to help others, we will want to treat them gently and with respect. This will not be possible if we think of ourselves first. The Holy Spirit leads us to love others and treat them properly.