Roots & Fruits - PART EIGHT
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G E N T L E N E S S
G E N T L E N E S S
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
The Greek word used here is prautēs. It’s defined “as gentleness, meekness, humility.”
Meekness isn’t weakness. Being gentle isn’t being passive. Being humble isn’t being insecure. It would be easy to see this fruit of the Spirit as being lesser than the others. It’s toward the end of the list. It’s harder to fully grasp, because it seems like it’s just a synonym for kindness, which has already been covered in this series. How, then, should we approach this fruit? I believe Paul gives us a clue just a few verses later about the important of gentleness in our lives, especially as believers.
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Paul uses the same word in both passages, which gives us some insight into what he’s saying we should do in these situations. Let’s also clarify that these letters are written to churches, which presumes that Christians are the target audience. So what Paul is saying here is applicable to us, because we are the Church. Listen to this, Church. If anyone is caught in transgression (or sin), we as people who are spiritual should bring about their restoration in a spirit of gentleness.
A spirit of humility. A spirit of meekness. Humility because we aren’t perfect. It doesn’t matter who’s wrong and who’s right. What matters is that we don’t push people away from the very thing they need in their lowest moments. Restoration means bringing them back to the cross, back to repentance, and back to God’s plan for their lives. It’s hard to effectively do that recklessly.
Handling fragile things requires gentleness. People who are hurt and broken, whether by someone else or their own mistakes, require restoration not through our aggressiveness, but through our gentleness.
That’s what a life lived by the Spirit should produce in us as the body of Christ equipped to help people return to faith.
Let’s take it a step further.
24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Many people want to justify their harsh words and thoughtless communication with the excuse that they’re just telling the truth. “I’m an enneagram 8; this is who I am.”
The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE and it should manifest in the way that we communicate with people, EVEN THOSE who are stuck in junk.
Gentleness doesn’t mean not correcting issues. It just means the way we correct it is in a spirit of humility and not arrogance. It means that we approach people with the goal of bringing them to repentance and restoration, not of shame and exposure.
The truth without love is like surgery without anesthesia.
1 A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The words that you speak matter. The way that you say them matter. Are you words spicy or sweet?
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
The fruit of the Spirit that begins from the place of love should manifest in gentle words and actions.
In order to do that, you have to decide what strength looks like.
Strength isn’t swinging back. It takes more strength to walk in restraint when people attack you.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
That’s gentleness. It’s the response to adversity. It’s how you take what’s being thrown at you and allow the fruit of the Spirit to be what comes out of you. Don’t forget what Paul tells us in Galatians 5 before listing the fruit of the Spirit.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gentleness. Where is that fruit needed in your life?
Where can it be cultivated? Where does it need to grow?