Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Gentleness is a fruit that exhibits itself through the development of kindness and goodness in our lives. So what is gentleness?
Gentleness is treating every situation we find ourselves in with care. It is treating every relationship we find ourselves in with care. It is putting others first and loving them like Jesus loves us.
One definition of gentleness is tenderness. We show our gentleness in how we handle our relationships with each other and in how we handle all of the tricky situations that life throws our way. Instead of getting angry, we are able to see the bigger picture. We are able to grasp the importance of every moment we find ourselves in. The things that we say. The things that we do. They all matter in light of the call on our lives to love God and each other.
A personal example: When I was 17 or 18, I worked nights at a local supermarket. One day, I left home a little late and decided I would play NASCAR to get to work on time. As luck would have it, I was clocked at 106 MPH by a state trooper about half-way through my journey (I was only going 106 MPH because that’s when my car would cut off. I had every intention of literally flying into the parking lot at work.). This was frowned upon and the trooper let me know it. My car was impounded and I was taken to the sheriff’s department to wait for someone to come pick me up. I called my dad and told him what had happened and told him where I was. I could hear the disappointment in his voice and even picked up some anger as the conversation ended. I feared the worst. But when he arrived, he showed me mercy. We spent the drive home talking and by the time we got home, I had learned that while driving 106 MPH was wrong, it wasn’t the end of the world. We spoke of Jesus and how his forgiveness was a lot like the situation I was in. Deserving wrath yet receiving kindness, patience, and love.
I’ve never forgotten that day and I hope that as we grow closer to Christ, we will begin to see each moment for what they are: Eternally important and extremely valuable.
The way we handle each situation we find ourselves in could be the difference in someone choosing Jesus or rejecting Jesus.
