Galatians 5:22-23
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
The verses above say that the Holy Spirit is at work in believers to be more like Christ, and part of the results of that work is gentleness. Gentleness, also translated “meekness,” doesn’t mean weakness. Rather, it involves humility and thankfulness toward God and polite, restrained behavior toward others. The opposites of gentleness are anger, revenge, and self-elevation. It takes a strong person to be truly gentle; not physically strong, but one who restrains his might, is gracious and humble.
God wants us to give Him control of our lives, though having a free will we are never forced to do so. If we are relying on our own logic, we have no impulse to submit to God’s leadership. With the wisdom given to us by the Holy Spirit, however, we begin to see why we should completely submit to God as Lord of our lives. Human power under human control is a half-broken weapon in the hands of a child. But gentleness places our strength under God’s guidance; therefore, it becomes a powerful tool for God’s kingdom.
Every person has the power and ability to choose what influences will inform his or her words and actions. Gentleness constrains and channels that power within us. To be gentle is to recognize that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9). It is advantageous for us to have a gentle attitude toward God because He is omniscient and we are not. We think God simply doesn’t understand our situation, but God does understand, more than we could possibly know (Psalm 44:21).
Filled with the Spirit, we will correct others with gentleness instead of arguing in resentment and anger, knowing that their salvation is far more important than our pride. We will forgive readily, because any offense toward us is nothing compared to our offenses against God—offenses He’s already forgiven. John the Baptist was a fiery preacher, yet he exhibited true gentleness when he said in John 3:30, “[Jesus] must become greater; I must become less”. If we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will be filled with fruit of gentleness. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller
No comments:
Post a Comment