By David Faust
When I was a kid, I heard words at church that I didn’t understand. The fences on our family’s farm had gates, but what were the “pearly” gates the preacher talked about? Did “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” require trips to the optometrist and dentist? I had two brothers, but was I “my brother’s keeper”?
When Gentiles were mentioned in the Bible, I assumed the word meant “gentle,” so Gentiles must be mild-mannered people. Years later, I was surprised to realize I’m a Gentile myself!
One child misunderstood the Lord’s Prayer. He thought it said, “Forgive us our trash passes, as we forgive those who pass trash against us.” I heard about another kid who attended a wedding. When he was asked, “How many women can a man marry?” he answered, “Sixteen. Four better, four worse, four richer, four poorer.”
Meekness Isn’t Weakness
Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23), but the concept often has been misunderstood. The Greek prautes (sometimes translated “meekness”) doesn’t equal weakness. Gentleness doesn’t make you a doormat.
Jesus described himself as “gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29, New International Version), but he overturned moneychangers’ tables and chastised the Pharisees with strong words. Paul compared his leadership style to the gentleness of “a mother caring for her little children” (1 Thessalonians 2:7); but he wasn’t a pushover. At times a loving mother is firm and unwavering with her kids.
Spirit-led gentleness moves us to speak up if a wrong needs to be corrected or an injustice needs to be addressed. Gentle souls intervene if a child is being harmed, a person with a disability is being mocked, or innocent lives are in danger.
The Impact of Gentleness
What will happen if the fruit of gentleness grows in your life?
Gentleness makes you more approachable. Are you inviting, or standoffish? Are you an attentive listener, or a self-centered talker? Does your demeanor make people instinctively want to embrace your ideas or brace themselves against you?
Gentleness makes your words more impactful. To overcome resistance, calm, reasonable arguments are more effective than hostile rants. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Carl Sandburg wrote, “Let the gentle bush dig its root deep and spread upward to split one boulder.” Super Bowl winning football coach Tony Dungy told his team, “This is the way I’m going to coach, and if you need to be yelled and screamed at, I can hire another coach to be the screaming coach. Other than that, I’m just going to tell you what we need to do.”
Gentleness makes difficult conversations more productive. “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone” (Proverbs 25:15). Four verses after mentioning gentleness as a fruit of the Spirit, Paul gives a practical example of a situation where gentleness is needed. “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). Uncomfortable conversations go better when we approach others with humility and self-awareness rather than a harsh and judgmental attitude.
Gentleness enhances your witness to unbelievers. The gospel of grace should be shared graciously. Peter wrote, “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” (1 Peter 3:15).
Like sandpaper smoothing a rough piece of wood, the Holy Spirit scrapes away the splinters to make us more like Christ. And when the Spirit is at work, our interactions with others will include more gentleness and respect.
Next Week: The Fruit of the Spirit is . . . SELF-CONTROL.
David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Not Too Old: Turning Your Later Years into Greater Years.
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