Galatians 5 . What comes to your mind when you think of gentleness? Gentleness is not weakness, but rather a powerful force for good in the world. It is used similarly to prautesbut is more of an opposite of violence. The fruit of the Spirit is essentially the character of Jesus. It is shown in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Its hard to extend grace when someone has offended us. Both qualities come from God and both are fruits of His Spirit at work in our lives. The law cannot give us the strength to be gentle. This is why this grace is listed among the fruit of the Spirit. I get upset easily and raise my voice. God is gentle with us, and we are called to be gentle with others. unkindness. Being gentle has a long history in many, but not all cultures. In accord with the prophecy, he enters Jerusalem in gentleness and lowliness ( Matt 21:5 ). But thats not what the Bible talks about when it talks about gentleness. Below are a few examples of how to practice this virtue in your life. Your email address will not be published. We learn to make their aims our aims. It's a peaceful, calm, and forgiving attitude. There is also peace with God. The rules of life will be changed, bent in the direction of gentleness and peace, not just any . Gentleness has been a topic of discussion since the beginning of time. 13:5) That means we need to recognize when our anger has run out of control and learn how to stop it before it gets out of hand. Before we can begin to unpack what it means to have gentleness we must first look into the meaning of the word. Do you ever find yourself thinking this way? To understand what gentleness looks like in practice, lets look at some examples from scripture: Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. In the Scriptures gentleness is at times translated as meekness. He is the Creator of the universe, yet He is still gentle and loving toward us despite our sinful nature. The Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek NT defines it this way: Prautes denotes the humble and gentle attitude which expresses itself, in particular, in a patient submissiveness to offense, free from malice and desire for revenge controlled strength, the ability to bear reproaches and slights without bitterness and resentment; the ability to provide a soothing influence on someone who is in a state of anger, bitterness and resentment against life the word indicates an obedient submissiveness to God and His will, with unwavering faith and enduring patience displaying itself in a gentle attitude and kind acts toward others, and this often in the face of opposition.. This is what made him different from all other religious leaders of his time and it is one of the things that continues to make him loved and admired by so many people today. I hope you enjoy and come back often. Unfortunately, sometimes in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we can become more focused on getting things done than on being kind to the ones we love. Gentleness is a marker of power used and handled properly. Its a way of dealing with people, yourself, and God. How different things would have been if Paul had not shown such gentleness! Now, it's not to say that, if things are not peaceful, then war won't exist. When we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. As a parent, I see gentleness as one of the most important character qualities we need to focus on in our family. Following Jesus' example, Paul treats his people gently, "like a mother caring for her little children" ( 1 Thess 2:7 ). Paul appeals to believers "by the meekness and gentleness of Christ" ( 2 Cor 10:1 ). In Matthew 11:29 Jesus takes upon himself this descriptor: I am gentle and lowly in heart., And when Jesus tells us what animates him most deeply, what is most true of himwhen he exposes the innermost recesses of his beingwhat we find there is: gentle and lowly. (Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly, 19). One definition comes from Ephesians 4:2 with all humility and gentleness. Another translation says, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering. The word for gentleness here means strength under control or power working itself out in love. Other faithful followers found this to be true (Job 29:22, 2 Timothy 2:25). It is the opposite of pride, haughtiness, and self-exaltation. It is displayed by Good Behavior and one of the fruits of the spirit, in the hidden person of the heart. Gentleness comes from a state of humility. A gentle touch or kind word can go a long way in building trust and rapport, fostering cooperation and obedience. When we receive a . Crucify ego, self-will, and pride. Its helpful to think about the areas where we are tempted to respond with harshness instead of gentleness. Empathy is acknowledging another persons point of view to understand their feelings. So much of the peace and harmony we seek is directly affected by how we treat others. It's a beauty that you don't have to go through all kinds of cosmetic surgery or makeup routines to preserve. All rights reserved. When someone considers someone to have the quality of epiekes, they would say that this is a pleasurable person to be around. We have swallowed the worlds view of power and control. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit What is peace? In short, gentleness is an essential ingredient in good parenting. This is similar to how Peter uses the word (1 Peter 3:16). Its about how we treat others, even when they dont treat us well. There are two other types of peace. Right here on Churchgists, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on examples of gentleness in the bible, goodness definition bible, bible characters who showed gentleness, and so much more. Resentfulness and divisiveness. But you, man of God, flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance andgentleness (I Timothy 6:11). What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? Gentleness is an important quality for Christians to develop if they want to be effective in spreading Gods Word and helping others come closer to Christ. In addition, gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit, so when we choose to respond with gentleness, even in tough situations, we are bearing witness to the power of God working in our lives. . When Jesus needed to not be interupted, he went off to a place to pray- my sons understand when I am in my room with the door closed. Churchgists.com covers prayers, spiritual meaning, bible verses and dreams interpretation. Its a quality of character. Gentleness is a soft answer, even when the words might hurt the recipient (Galatians 6:1). For more help incorporating gentleness into your parenting, consider working with Meaghan.Learn More About Meaghan here.Enjoy this post? 7. There are many benefits to being gentle, including happiness, better relationships, and less stress. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23) "I'll believe it when I see it.". Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Not only does it mean being kind to people who are kind to you, but also it means being kind even when someone isnt nice back! Gentleness. Talk to a trusted friend or counselor about the hurt youve experienced. A mildness of disposition or manner, thus the opposite of roughness or harshness. Gentleness is a virtue that is described in the Bible as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Reach out to the person who hurt you and try to reconcile. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. What the Bible is . Christ himself was a model of gentleness, and he calls us to follow his example. Colossians 3:20 (esv). That is the biblical picture of gentleness. Just as with the humble we see that God is working to defend and rescue the poor. The word can also be used to translate another Hebrew word that refers to things like enduring hardship (Psalm 132:1), toil and trouble (Psalm 89:10). From these examples of gentleness in the bible, we can picture a soft touch, calm reassurance, and a loving hand. This means that when we see someone in need, we can no longer ignore them or pass them off as someone elses problem. People who are gentle usually have a lot of inner peace and self-control. You can also check out these gentle parenting bible study discussion guides.This post was written by guest blogger Meaghan Jackson ofGentle Parenting Coaching. . It is important to have an accurate perception of what gentleness is. It is the opposite of harshness and violence. A common misconception is that gentleness is weakness or passivity. You can be gentle in him thanks for sharing and encouraging . If you want to see real, biblical gentleness, open your bible to one of the gospels, and reflect on Jesus's words and actions. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. There have always been arguments on whether it is an attribute to desire or avoid. But thats ignorant of Roman history and the state of corruption within the religious leaders in his day. The biblical concept of gentleness is based on the idea that humans are made in the image of God and are therefore to be treated with dignity and respect. In the New Testament it is the translation of epios, "mild," "gentle" (1Thessalonians 2:7; 2Timothy 2:24), and of epieikes, "fitting" "proper," etc. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus is explaining why we should embrace His way of life. In the Greek written long before the NT came about, the noun meant "gentleness, mild friendliness" (DNTT). Why Gentleness Is So Important As a Christian, you demonstrate the Spirit at work in your life when you show gentleness. Its the opposite of harshness, and it means that we dont try to force our beliefs or ideas on others. Advertisement What is the value of gentleness? "He will feed his flock like a shepherd. Take out time to visit our Website for more information on similar topics. Jesus had it: " I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls " ( Matthew 11:29, ESV). It can also mean mildness and softness. 2. Fighting destroys relationships and takes so much time to repair. The Bible says that gentleness is "not soon angry." (1 Cor. His laws are also reasonable and easy to obey; neither He nor they enslave. The disciple James also wrote that Christians should be gentle toward all men (James 1:27). Because gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can show true gentleness. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. And these are the people whom I admire the most. But more specifically we grow in gentleness by practicing it. 11:28-30 ) It's no accident that these words have been greatly celebrated.

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