Gentleness is not a timid spirit. It is not weak. Gentleness is a soft yet strong hand. Gentleness does not mean someone lacks strength or power. Christ was the strongest and most powerful man to ever live. However, even though Christ was strong, He was gentle.
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." - Matthew 11:29
Jesus described himself as gentle and proved that He was. When he confronted the adulterous woman, He didn't shame her for her sins. He didn't throw stones at her. Rather, He stood up for her and gently told her to go and sin no more (John 8:1-11). Additionally, the prophets described Christ as gentle.
"He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." - Isaiah 40:11
Christ fulfilled the prophecies made in the Old Testament. He looked out for His people and cared for them with a gentle spirit. He humbled himself to show gentleness to all.
The apostles recognized that He was gentle. Whats more, they recognized that gentleness could not exist without humility. Christ wasn't prideful. Pride causes people to become arrogant, self-righteous, and harsh. Jesus was none of that. Rather, He showed others humility and gentleness. Even though He was greater than them all, and is greater than all of us, He shows us love through serving us, speaking to us softly, comforting us when we're weak and tired, kindly correcting our sins, and pointing us in the right direction.
Humans are touched by gentleness. When someone is gentle, rather than harsh, a person feels safe. Gentleness can change lives, which is why it is so important to humble ourselves. Gentleness isn't just a mere set of actions to take; it's a state of the heart. It's an attitude of wanting to help others simply out of love. It's not thinking that we're better than someone. We should want to be a servant to them; not a superior.
How Do I Show Gentleness?
Meekness is another word in the Bible that refers to gentleness. It means to let go and submit. Before we can show gentleness to others, we must first be meek and submit to God. We cannot be gentle unless He is guiding us. Let God teach you. Let Him guide you. Be willing to yield to Him. Once we allow Him to guide us, He will show us how to be gentle with others.
We must be willing to forgive just as Christ has forgiven us. Bitterness, anger, and grudges are not part of God's will for us and they don't reflect a gentle heart. Ask God to help you forgive both yourself and others.
Humble yourself. Remind yourself that Christ loves your neighbor just as much as He loves you. He died for us all. Christ is the only one who should be considered great. Don't think of yourself as much. Rather, adopt a servant's attitude and seek out ways in which you can serve others.
"He must become great; I must become less." - John 3:30
Give up judgment. God is the Judge; not us. It is not our role to judge others. We should not be calling curses on others because of their sins. We should not be quick to point out the sins of others while failing to see and fix our own. We're no better than anyone else; we just have different sins. Let God deal with sin. Instead, focus on loving others. Love them unconditionally. This doesn't mean you should waver on your beliefs. Hold God's word as true, but don't push your beliefs or judgment on others.
"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." - Proverbs 15:1
Let love and the desire to serve fill your hearts. Be kind. Be soft. Let gentleness become the way you treat others.
