Tis the Season to be...Gentle

Written by Ed Allen
 Saturday, 05 January 2002 19:00

The Person You Always Wanted to Be

Being the people we truly want to be is not a matter of our own doing; it is a matter of being deeply connected to God through faith in Jesus Christ and living out of the energy created by that connection.

Galatians 5:16-25

"(16) So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (17) For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. (19) The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; (20) idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions (21) and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (24) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. (25) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."


The eighth quality that makes up the fruit of the Spirit is "gentleness".  We have said that the fruit of the Spirit is a snapshot of the people we want to be. And up to now it has been easy to assume the universal applicability of that. We all want to be more loving. We want to be more joyful and more at peace. We want to be kinder, and more patient and we want to be better in the way we treat others. We certainly want to be more full of faith and to not become discouraged too easily. But do we really want to be gentler?

This morning I want to do two things. I want to give a definition of what the Bible means by "gentle." I hope this definition will make gentleness compelling and convicting. I hope we will see it as an essential part of the people we want to be. Secondly, I want to look at some ways that gentleness shows up in the character of those who are led by the Spirit.

I have prayed that God will move in us in a variety of ways this morning:

  • Some: recognize that the Holy Spirit is not a part of their life. You do not believe in God in any way that has real power to make a difference in who you are. I have prayed that you will be provoked today to consider choosing a relationship with God over self-determinism, or over isolationism, or over religion.
  • Some: recognize the need to re-up in your relationship with God. Either because you have been trying to be good or to do good in your own power, or because you have burned out and abandoned the idea of being good altogether, you need to clarify the reception in your connection with God. You need a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.
  • Some: I have prayed that you would be encouraged at what you hear. There may be more evidence of the Spirit's life in you than you imagined and what you hear today I pray will remind you of that.
  • Some: need particular work in the area of gentleness. You may see evidence of God's activity in your life, but the particular area of gentleness needs strengthening. For you I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that the Bible does not talk about the fruits of the Spirit. These are not isolated characteristics so much as they are the unified picture of God living through us. A lack of gentleness in your life represents more than a slight character flaw over at the edge of your personality. This is a symptom of a much larger disease. This represents dysfunction in your overall relationship with God. The good news is that God is very, very forgiving and understanding. He has to be. Look at what he's got to work with.
  1. Definition
  1. Gentleness = prautes
  2. Translated = "meekness, gentleness, humility"
  3. Often associated with humility as in Ephesians 4:2

Ephesians 4:2

"(2) Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

  1. As defined by ancient Greeks:
  1. To describe persons or things which have in them a certain soothing quality ?
  • e.g. having a humble and kind demeanor which calms another's anger
  1. To describe gentleness of conduct, especially on the part of people who had it in their power to act otherwise ?
  • e.g. a king forgiving a servant who failed a particular task
  1. To describe the ability to take unkind remarks with good nature ?
  • e.g. being able to discuss things without losing one's temper because of unkind and unfair personal remarks
  1. Most often, to describe the character in which strength and gentleness are perfectly combined ?
  • e.g. a horse obedient to the reins - There is great strength but it is tempered by a gentle spirit
  1. Aristotle (On Virtue and Vices): "the ability to bear reproaches and slights with moderation, and not to embark on revenge quickly, and not to be easily provoked to anger, but to be free from bitterness and contentiousness, having tranquility and stability in the spirit." The one who displays anger does so "on the right grounds, and against the right persons, and in the right manner, and at the right moment, and for the right length of time."
  1.  According to one commentator: "this quality comes from having a humble opinion of one's self, along with the inner strength to control one's emotions, tongue, and behavior."
  2. What part of this definition speaks most loudly to you?
  3. We sometimes operate with the mistaken idea that we need to be more assertive and more decisive. We need to be more clever and we need to be able to intimidate people just a little bit. This, we believe, is the way to get ahead in our careers. And we believe we need to be harder and more aloof. This is the way to keep from getting hurt in our relationships. "I'll show her." "Well, I'll never let that happen again. I just won't let myself care as much."
  4. But, according to the life and teaching of Jesus, this is exactly the opposite of what we need to be. According to Jesus, to be more effective in our careers and to be more effective in our relationships, to have any kind of a shot at having the life we want, we need to be gentler.
  5. And can't you see the wisdom in it? Don't you want to able to keep your head when all about you are loosing theirs? Don't you want to be able to stand up to anger and return wisdom and tenacious love? Don't you want to have people feel soothed and comforted by being in your presence? Don't you want to be strong and gentle in perfect combination?
  6. I'm not suggesting that the picture of the self-made, impenetrable, self-confident mover and shaker is unattainable, although that may be the case. I'm saying that if you get yourself into that portrait, even if you get close, you're going to find that you're not at all where you want to be.
  7. According to the Bible, gentleness is part of the profile of the people we truly want to be. And we get there by living our lives out of an intimate connection with God.
  1. Some ways that gentleness shows up in the character of a follower of Jesus.
    (Illustrate how characteristics "show up" in our lives by talking about how control and insecurity "show up".)
  1. Shows up as the means of our accepting God's word.

    James 1:21

    "(21) Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."

    1. Someone told me the other day that they had a friend who resisted the Bible because did not want anyone or anything to tell them how to live their life.
  1. Do you find it tough to accept the teaching of the Bible?
    • Have to answer the basic question - do you believe it? Is it reliable?
    • Then simply submit!
  2. Shows up in the way we treat people when their wheels fall off of their life.

     Galatians 6:1

    "(1) Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted."

    •  Do you find yourself rushing to judge? Think of those in high positions.
    • Think of your loved ones.
  3. Shows up in the way we correct those who disagree with us and are in error.

    1 Timothy 2:24-25

    "(24) And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. (25) Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,"

    • Is this the way you correct those who disagree?
    • Or are you exasperated? Frustrated? Defensive? And does that work?
  4. Shows up in the way we defend our faith.

    1 Peter 2:15-16

    "(15) For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. (16) Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God."

     
    •  If you are arguing with a loved one about the faith and get defensive chances are you are not speaking under the direction of God's Spirit.
  5. Prautes is both a demonstration of wisdom and, James suggests, it comes from wisdom.

    James 3:13-16

    "(13) Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. (14) But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. (15) Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. (16) For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."


    • Notice that the opposite of Prautes is bitter envy and selfish ambition
    • Notice that this results in disorder and every kind of evil.
  6. Jesus' words in Matthew 11 seem to suggest that shows up in a rested spirit.

    Matthew 11:28-30

    "(28) Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (29)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. (30) For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

     
  • Notice Jesus is prautes
  • A byproduct of taking his yoke is finding rest in our weariness.
  • A part of that yoke is his prautes, his gentleness.
  • Response
    1. Do you need to be encouraged today? God show us the gentleness that is apart of our lives.
    2. Do you need work on gentleness in your life?
    3. Do you need to re-up in your relationship with God? A fresh filling of the Holy Spirit?
    4. Do you need to choose God today for the first time?

     

 

Website developed by ChurchKatalyst