GENTLENESS SHOWS OUR FAITH IN THE LORD IS REAL

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle 
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 
(Matthew 11:29)

MEDITATION:
“Gentleness” is defined as 
“the quality of being kind, tender, or mild-mannered”.
Jesus was the epitome of gentleness and those who belong to Him 
should strive to be people who are known for having a gentle attitude.
Selfishness, egotism, wanting to be the center of attention, anger, 
contempt, are a few of the attitudes that prevent us 
from developing gentleness in our own lives.

If we want to me more like the Lord we claim to follow,
then we have to make a conscious effort to change our attitudes, 
and ask the Lord to help us change.
The world equates gentleness to weakness, but the truth is,
it takes a strong person to be sincerely gentle.

A gentle person has the inner strength to absorb the unkindness from others 
without feeling the need to ‘lash out’ at them.
A gentle person knows the value of responding to others in a kind manner
regardless of how rude and uncaring they might be.
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 
(Proverbs 15:1)

A gentle person also acknowledges how the Lord communicates with them.
After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. 
And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:12)

Being gentle means that we forfeit our right to judge others.
We may have our own set of standards and expectations, 
but a gentle person accepts the fact that God has made us all unique 
and as a result, others will have a different perspective than we do.

When we are gentle, we don’t feel the need to make others 
conform to our way of thinking, but instead we accept them as they are. 
We can even enjoy the differences rather than allowing them to frustrate us. 
Gentleness is an indication that we have the love of Christ living in us.
Be completely humble and gentle; 
be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)

When His love is in control, we will look for ways to encourage others and 
lift their spirits, rather than discourage them and trying to make them like us.
Why? Because patience is a by-product of gentleness.
Patience is a virtue that gives us the capacity to accept others as they are.

God is concerned with our spiritual growth, 
and He knows how to grow us far better than we do.
When we welcome His help to make us gentle, we become witnesses for Him.
We show others by our actions and words that God is in control of our life,
and He has squelched our natural desire to be selfish and self-centered.
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5)

Gentleness gives us the ability to share our faith with others 
in a manner that will make the Lord attractive to them, 
as opposed to driving them away from Him.
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an 
answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you 
have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, 
so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ 
may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15-16)

ACTION:
Have you allowed the Lord to change your natural attitudes 
and make you into a gentle person?
Would other say that you lift their spirits, or that you put others down, 
belittle the things they do that are different from what you do, 
and show little care and concern for those with a different perspective?

Do you show gentleness and compassion toward others or do you 
allow your self-centeredness to look at their problems as insignificant?
When the Bible tells us multiple times about becoming a gentle person, 
it is not something that we should casually pass over as a suggestion.
God commands those who follow His Son to become more like Him.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for my selfish and self-centered attitude. 
Develop in me a desire to change and become more like Jesus with my 
attitudes and actions. Help me to lose my selfishness so that I can show 
a greater concern for others. Give me the patience to sincerely listen to 
the problems of others without trying to change the conversation to focus 
on me and my issues. Help me to live a life of gentleness, patience, 
humbleness and self-control, so that I will be pleasing to others, 
and to You.” 

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