Gentleness has been translated several ways. This daily devotional looks at several of the components it encompasses.
Nuggets
- Gentleness is the character trait, while kindness is the actions we use to show it.
- Gentleness ties with several different words at which we have already looked.
- Gentleness helps fix difficult situations while strengthening connections between people.
- Gentleness looks toward God instead of the world.
To read devotions in the Redo for Godliness series, click the appropriate button below.
Devotions in the Fruit of the Spirit from the Inside Out series
The next fruit of the Spirit is usually either translated as gentleness or kindness. I can see how they are similar, but I am not totally convinced they are synonymous.
Let’s see what Manning had to say and go from there.
Let's Put It into Context #1
Here is a running list of what we’ve discussed previously.
Let's Put It into Context #2
Manning gave a pretty inclusive definition of gentleness. He wrote, “Gentleness means kindness and forbearance, the dissembling of wrong, the absence of the fire of resentment and of the smouldering of ill-will.”
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Gentleness and Kindness
Gentleness is the character trait, while kindness is the actions we use to show it.
Murray identified why I am struggling with having gentleness and kindness as synonyms. He wrote, “In the first place, we find that gentle does not primarily refer to manners.”
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That was one thing I tripped in. Kindness is one of our manners. Gentleness isn’t.
Gentleness is part of our character. Kindness is the act through which it can be shown.
Vaughan said that we submit to God through being gentle.
The flip side is someone being rude. I know a person who, when I first met her, seemed rude most of the time. Her comment was always, “This is the way God made me.”
I always wanted to say back, “No, He didn’t. He wants us to have His character.”
Vaughan said that we submit to God through being gentle. He noted that gentle means coming from a good family.
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We are from a good family. We are part of the family of God.
Kindness and Forbearance
Gentleness ties with several different words at which we have already looked.
I like what Reeve said. Basically, he said that we have to want to be gentle to others.
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To me, that means gentleness/kindness can be part of our redo for godliness. We can grow into gentleness.
Reeve also said it gentleness does not foster with doubtfulness and uncertainty. We aren’t supposed to waffle between gentleness and rudeness.
When we hook gentleness to forbearance — or patience — we get what Norton called quiet influences. I don’t see how we could have gentleness without patience.
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Norton also hooked gentleness with being sober. Sober is a character trait distinguished by self-control, genuineness, and sound moral judgment. It is a calm and temperate disposition.
Glossary
Well, that makes sense. If we said gentleness is a character trait, it is tied to soberness and being even keeled.
Hamilton hooked gentleness to love. He described it as quiet influence, like Norton did. Hamilton wrote, “It is love in all its depths, and all its delicacy. It is everything included in that matchless grace, the gentleness of Christ.”
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See how interconnected they are? We define them by using another term.
The Dissembling of Wrong
Gentleness helps fix difficult situations while strengthening connections between people.
I really liked Thornton’s take on gentleness. He wrote, “It has its seat in the heart, and pervades all the faculties and powers of the man. It consists in humility, candour, sweetness of temper, and tenderness of feeling.”
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Humility. We’ve talked a bit about humility lately. Humility is a character trait that diminishes pride and places dependence on God while holding a modest view of our importance with respect to others.
Thornton noted that gentleness is necessary in diminishing friction. Not only that, but it also helps to strengthen friendships.
Both of those speak to Manning’s dissembling of wrong. In order to right the wrong, we first have to get to the root of why it is there in the first place. Then we have to replace it with a solid friendship.
Yes, it is all about relationships.
The Absence of the Fire of Resentment and of the Smouldering of Ill-Will
Gentleness looks toward God instead of the world.
At first, I was scratching my head about what I put as the title. Gentleness means we don’t passionately resent ill-will????
Thornton tried to put it into perspective for me. He wrote, “Nothing more directly tends to impair gentleness than eagerly grasping at the things of the world. Though Christians are in the world they ought not to be of the world.”
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To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
When we try to latch onto things of this world, we tend to buy into the worldview agenda that says we can do whatever to get them. The ends justify the means.
Making the Connections
I love what Murray said. He wrote, “And so, friends, we will say in the language of the text: ‘The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness.’ By-and-by, perhaps, we shall all become gentle. By-and-by we shall have done with economic industries and the friction they put upon our tempers, and enter into eternal entertainment. By-and-by we shall talk without harshness and live in neighbourhoods of peacefulness, unvexed by jealousy and unflushed with the inflammation of hate. Nor will we, even now, forget the example of the incarnated Gentleness that took human shape for our instruction.”
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I am of the opinion that we will become gentle, not just perhaps. We have to. We will be like Jesus. “Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is” (I Jn. 3: 2 CSB).
Norton agreed with me. He reminded us about the duties of the Holy Spirit. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (Jn. 14: 26 NIV).
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Glossary
How Do We Apply This?
Vaughan gave us a good progression for cultivating gentleness.
- Evaluate ourselves so that we get an precise picture of where we lack in gentleness. With whom and in what circumstances do we lose our gentleness?
- Make it right when possible by asking forgives for past wrongs.
- Study about being gentle. We can’t know how to fix it until we know what the problems are.
- Don’t just fix the problem, fix the root. Vaughan said that is “… selfishness, temper, jealousy, the neglect of watchfulness, want of prayer at the right moment.”
- Exercise self-discipline. Decide how we want to respond — and follow through.
- Pray through the times that we aren’t disciplined enough to follow through.
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- Exercise gentleness if we are in positions of authority.
- See the best in others and consider their feelings.
- Find a calm spot in which to meditate and commune with God.
- Imitate Jesus.
- Communicate with God through prayer.
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Glossary
Gentleness is an important element of the character of God. We should cultivate it to be more like God.
Father God. Thank You for giving us gentleness as a fruit of the Spirit. We want to use it to eliminate tension and foster unity. We want to grow our character to include gentleness until we are like You. Amen.
What do you think?
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