The Word of God explores lots of the qualities that the Lord each exhibits and seeks in His people. One of the deepest of those is gentleness.
In our modern culture, which places a lot emphasis on personal achievement and success, gentleness is usually disregarded. In fact, many see this other-centric trait as a weakness. But for believers, having a mild spirit actually shows great strength of character.
The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the young church leader Timothy that meekness is a top quality for anyone who desires to be a disciple of others and help fellow Christians grow in faith.
“And the servant of the Lord shouldn’t be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teaching, not holding a grudge. Opponents have to be gently instructed, within the hope that God will grant them repentance and cause them to the knowledge of the reality…” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).
As believers today, we’re still called to grow on this area.
What is gentleness?
The quality of meekness is far richer than most individuals think, partly because it could be expressed in so some ways.
According to Merriam-Webster, mild means “free from harshness, harshness, and violence; honorable, distinguished” and even “chivalrous”. Interestingly, using it as a verb (delicate) means “to subdue or raise from the commonplace.” This means showing respect and consideration to others – helping them grow to be higher.
Synonyms include compassion, consideration, softness, tenderness, mercy, peace, sympathy, kindness, and gentleness. All of this describes a heart that desires to serve others. But for this to be fully effective, we must keep in mind that our motivation is to serve and please God.
In Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary, meekness is “a tenderness of disposition and kindness in demeanor, based on strength and inspired by love.” This beautifully describes how God uses His power for the nice of those that obey Him. And Jesus patterned the identical for us during His earthly ministry.
God’s names suggesting His gentleness
Seeing how our Heavenly Father is described in each the Old and New Testaments begins to present us a way that this quality is lively, passionate, and influential in those that receive it.
Jehovah Rapha (The Lord Who Heals)
“Praise the Lord, my soul, and don’t forget all his advantages, who forgives all of your sins and heals all of your diseases…” (Psalm 103:2-3).
Jehovah-Raah (Lord my Shepherd)
“Hear the word of the Lord, you peoples; preach it on the distant shores: “He who scattered Israel will gather them and can keep his flock like a shepherd” (Jeremiah 31:10).
Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)
“The Lord your God is with you, a mighty warrior who saves. He will enjoy you very much; in his love, he’ll not rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (cf.Zephaniah 3:17).
good father
“I might be a Father to you, and also you shall be my little kids,” says the Lord Almighty.2 Corinthians 6:18).
Father Abba
“Because you might be his sons, God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out, AbbaFather'” (Galatians 4:6).
Heavenly Father
“’Look on the birds of the air; they don’t sow or reap or store in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not rather more helpful than them?’” (Matthew 6:26).
Each of those names reminds us of the depth and breadth of God’s love and the facility of His gentle spirit.
What the Bible says about meekness
There are many passages within the books of the Old Testament that talk of the gentleness of God.
“He washes his flock like a shepherd: he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them near his heart; gently guides those that have young” (Isaiah 40:11).
“Aren’t you satisfied with God’s consolations, gentle words addressed to you?” (Job 15:11).
“After the earthquake got here fire, however the Lord was not in the hearth. And after the hearth got here a soft whisper” (1 Kings 19:12).
God reached out to rescue, comfort, provide, and guide mankind to grow to be a part of His family. And within the New Testament Gospels, Jesus walked the earth and showed us what this gentleness looks like.
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I’m meek and humble of heart, and you can find rest in your souls” (Matthew 11:29).
“Say to the daughter of Zion: Behold, your king involves you gentle and rides on a donkey and a colt, the foal of a donkey.”Matthew 21:5).
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting anything in return. Then your reward might be great, and also you might be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.Luke 6:35).
Jesus was stuffed with compassion for individuals who needed all types of healing. And he stretched out his hand to those that were unbelievers, inviting them to follow him.
In their teachings and letters, the Apostles sought to precise meekness and teach the early Christians the best way to walk in it.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
“As a prisoner within the Lord, I challenge you to live a life worthy of the vocation you may have received. Be completely humble and delicate; be patient, bearing with each other in love” (Ephesians 4:1-2).
“Your beauty shouldn’t come from external adornment, similar to elaborate hairstyles, wearing gold jewelry, or fancy clothes. Rather, it must be your interior, the undying great thing about a mild and quiet spirit, which is of great value within the eyes of God.1 Peter 3:3-4).
Paul, Peter, James, and the opposite Apostles sought to instruct their readers in the facility of grace for the expansion of the Church of Christ.
How to grow in meekness
To appreciate the importance of gentleness, we must develop it in ourselves after which show it to others. Doing an honest personal review will help us see what facets of gentleness we’re already desirous about and where there’s room for growth. God’s Word is our guide, and His touch will begin to vary us:
– We can study how the early church cared for others
– We can study the verses “each other.”
– We can pray to God to melt our hearts towards others
– We can discover ways to actively reach out to others
Soon it’s going to grow to be natural to be gentle in our day by day lives. And essentially the most basic interaction can have a huge impact if motivated by God’s love.
– Offering a listening ear to someone who’s struggling.
– Smiling at someone we pass once we’re out and about.
– Using words that show respect to the person you might be talking to.
– Being a reassuring presence when someone is indignant or upset.
– Seek what’s best for another person first.
When we take a look at meekness as God does, we’ll see its value. His Son Jesus walked the world with this excellent attribute, and we must follow in His footsteps.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Sasiistock
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