The Spirit wants to produce in us the fruit of gentleness so that we would grow to look more like Christ. In our character we are trying to trace the lines that Christ has drawn for us by his life. He is the pattern that we are to follow.
So, what is the fruit of gentleness? It is the ability to deal with others in a spirit of humility and tenderness rather than with arrogance and anger. You’ve all received a package before at your front door that was stamped “HANDLE WITH CARE.” Well gentleness is the ability to handle others with care. Yet, culturally speaking, gentleness is not a trending virtue.
Gentleness is not going to convince your political opponent that you're right and they’re wrong. But shouting over them might.
Gentleness is not going to get your kids room clean. But threatening them in anger might.
Gentleness is not going to convince the driver in front of you who just cut you off that he needs to rethink all his life choices. But yelling at him with your car horn might.
Our fallen natural impulse is to react with arrogance and anger.
Many of our responses to others are fueled by two questions:
“Do you know who you’re messing with?!”
And
“How dare you?!”
But the Spirit is working to rewire the reactions of our hearts and rewrite the questions that fuel our responses. Our new Spirit-driven reaction toward others should be humility and tenderness.
The new questions that should drive our responses are
“How can I serve this person for God’s glory?”
And
“How can I demonstrate the gentleness of Christ to them?”
That rewiring and rewriting process happens, in part, through humbly coming before God to confess our failure to be gentle and our dependence on His grace and His Spirit to grow in gentleness. So go to the Lord in confession. Here is a prayer to help guide you in that:
Our Heavenly Father,
We praise You for You are compassionate and gentle. You do not deal with us as our sins deserve.
Forgive us for how we have let pride and arrogance fuel our responses toward others.
Cleanse us from the anger that so easily spills out of our hearts.
Cultivate in our lives the gentleness of Christ so that we would deal with others in a spirit of humility and tenderness.
Forgive us in Christ we pray, Amen.
One of the ways that the Gospel highlights the tenderness of Christ is by showing that Jesus is the Good Shepherd:
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11).
Jesus views all of those who have come to him by faith and repentance as a sheep in his flock. Sheep that he knows by name, that he cares for with deep affection, that he protects with sovereign power, that he feeds with life-giving food, that he supplies with soul-satisfying water. In Christ, you have a Savior who cares for you with omnipotent gentleness:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:1-3)
