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7th August 2024
WednesdayReflection
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'412teens.org asks'
What is gentleness as
a Fruit of the Spirit??
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"See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey..."
.... Matthew 21:5
Gentleness. The word brings up images of babies and lambs and little soft things.
But what if I have a not-so-gentle personality?
Christians are expected to demonstrate gentleness as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
But what is gentleness, why is it important, and how do we develop genuine gentleness in our lives?
One of the primary purposes of the Holy Spirit is to conform us to the image of Christ, making us more like Him.
This change doesn't happen overnight.
When it comes to gentleness, do you think, "Gentle doesn't describe me at all!"
Never fear!
God doesn't expect you to grow overnight, and He doesn't expect you to do it alone.
When I became a Christian as an adult, this fruit of gentleness really concerned me.
I am an extroverted, loud, always joking, person who likes to have a lot of fun - that doesn't sound too gentle to me.
If gentleness meant that I had to be quiet, demure, and serious all the time, I wasn't sure I even wanted to cultivate gentleness into my spirit.
But I had it all wrong.
Gentleness is not so much about our natural personality traits as it is about our attitudes and how we approach others.
What kind of gentleness is "fruit of the Spirit" gentleness?
Jesus absolutely loves doing the unexpected in order to teach us and help us grow.
Many Bible scholars call His ways "upside down" because they are the exact opposite of how we expect the world to work.
One would assume that if someone is shouting, you have to shout louder to get their attention.
But that isn't the case!
It's brutal out there.
When a Christian surrenders to the Lord's desire for a heart of gentleness, that person becomes something radically different than what non-believers see in the world.
Suddenly, there's a reason to simmer down for a moment and pay attention to this new, unexpected presence.
What does gentleness look like in practice?
Gentleness puts others first and doesn't act like it minds doing so.
Gentleness doesn't hate or throw insults at those who are doing things that our view may perceive as wrong.
Gentleness remembers that we are all sinners, and we are all trying to find our way through this ungentle world.
Gentleness, also translated "meekness," does NOT mean weakness.
On the contrary, gentleness requires a lot of strength and self-control.
It requires humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, kind behaviour towards others.
Does gentleness mean that I don't get to be my loud, funny, joking self?
Not at all!
In fact, my extroverted personality often helps me get to know others and make them feel welcome and accepted.
As I have allowed God to transform me, I have begun to welcome gentleness..
Gentleness points others who are searching for answers towards the loving arms of Jesus.
God likes me the way I am, but He prunes the branches that aren't growing well so that the ones that will advance His Kingdom really flourish!
I like that.
Are you an unexpected, refreshing breeze in a bitter, troubled world?
Ask God to bring circumstances into your life that allow you to practice gentleness.
When Jesus presented Himself as the promised Messiah, many Jews were disappointed because they had expected a mighty warrior king who would destroy their enemies and rule a physical kingdom.
They did not understand this gentle man riding in on a donkey whose plan was much bigger than they could fathom.
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This is an edited version.
The full article is avaiable on request
412teens.org
is dedicated to encouraging teens and sharing pearls of biblical truth in a sea of spiritual sludge.
We're an outreach of Got Questions Ministries.
Our mission is to glorify God by providing biblical, applicable, compassionate, and timely answers to spiritually-related questions about topics of interest to young believers.
We aim to encourage healthy physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health in every young Christian we encounter.
The "412" stands for 1 Timothy 4:12
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