There's An App For That: Gentleness

It is easy for me to be a jerk, to be rude, or to be selfish. If you are like me and struggle with those things, there is an app for that, it is called gentleness. You can’t find an app for gentleness on your I-phone or computer; you can’t consistently force yourself to be gentle either, not by will-power alone. The Apostle Paul said in Gal. 5:22-23 that gentleness is a fruit grown by the Holy Spirit in our lives. The definition of Gentleness is to have a mild and kind nature or manner; being moderate in force or degree so that the effects are not severe or harsh; not steep, not rising steeply.

I like the part about gentleness being not to rise steeply. As a runner I hate running up hills, especially steep hills (they are the devil). Steep hills wear me out when I have to run up them, however I don’t mind running up a gentle slope. Gentleness is all about steepness; it is about not burdening others with steep demands or selfish expectations. We make things too steep don’t we? We make it difficult for people to meet our expectations. What is the price of our love? What is the price of our mercy? What is the price of our service? We often set the price too high, so steep that it has become a burden to work with, to serve with, to worship with, or even live with us. In business we always say buy low, sell high. Make someone else pay the high price that we don’t want to pay. Do we do that in relationships, do we make the people around us pay a steep price for our selfishness; do we dump our negativity on them? Ask yourself what is the price of interacting with me? A lack of gentleness maybe great in dealing with the stock market, but it is not good in dealing with people; whether it is family, friends, coworkers, Christians, or even our enemy. To not be gentle is to be ungodly, it is sinful.

There is wisdom in gentleness. Listen to these Proverbs: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 NIV “Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses.” Proverbs 25:15 The MESSAGE

Gentleness is not a wimpy or weak thing, it is a powerful tool of the Spirit that allows us to connect and work with each other. Gentleness makes it a joy to be with us rather than a burden. Allow the Spirit to guide you this week into using one of the most underutilized fruit of Spirit, if you do, everyone you interact with will be blessed. - Vic