Gentleness

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

We are looking at the different fruit that are given to Christians as they follow Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit. These spiritual fruit, as outlined in Paul’s letter to the Galatian church, are gifts that God produces in His people. As we trust God and follow Him, the Holy Spirit grows these fruit in our lives. 

Gentleness, or meekness, is a part of those fruit. 

Meekness means to have “strength under control.” A good example would be a strong and powerful horse, which is has been tamed and able to ride. All the strength of the horse is still present, but it is under control. 

To exhibit meekness is not a sign of weakness, or about being taken advantage of by other people. The gift of gentleness is the ability to restrain oneself, for the good of other people. It is caring for others and putting them first, in spite of what we could do. 

Jesus is the ultimate example of being meek. Although He could demonstrate His might in any way, He chose to control and yield it with His humbly towards others. 

As John MacArthur says, meekness in the New Testament is used to describe three attitudes: submissiveness to the will of God, teachableness, and consideration of others. 

Since our human nature goes against each of these attitudes, we need to actively pursue God, so He can grow gentleness in our character.

Faithfulness

“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

Being a follower of Jesus Christ has godly benefits, including the fruit produced in your life. The Apostle Paul writes to the Galatian church that those fruit are given to Believers as we walk in the Spirit. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We receive all of the fruit—not just one or some.

Among the fruit is faithfulness. The Greek word used by Paul is the same for “faith.” Faith is a complete confidence or trust in someone or something. Faithfulness demonstrates loyalty and trustworthiness.

There is no better example of faithfulness than God. His care and compassion towards us goes beyond what we deserve. Jeremiah wrote in the book of Laminations that it is God’s great love that kept Israel from being destroyed. He wrote that during a time of extreme pain and difficulty, but he knew that God still had their best in His plan. The same is true for us today.

Life can be challenging at times and we all experience difficult seasons and yet God remains faithful to see us through it and not leave us. Because we know He is there (even though at times it may not feel like it), we can keep going and stay the course. We can keep trusting in God and doing what it right because He is always with us.

The gift of faithfulness is necessary as we do the work that God has put before us. We need the strong foundation of God to trust in to help us stay the course with our spouses, our children, our neighbors, or enemies. As we love, serve, and care for them, there are times when love, service, and care are not returned. However, since we receive our love, service, care, and joy from God, we can remain steadfast in the work He has calls us to.

We will not give up, we will fight the good fight, and we will keep the faith.

Kindness

“Love your enemies, do good to them and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Luke 6:35

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

A benefit of following Jesus comes in the form of God producing Godly character in us. The book of Galatians includes a list of spiritual fruit. These fruit come as a result of God’s work in the follower of Jesus and one other those fruit is Kindness.

God is the ultimate example of kindness. His great love made us alive with Christ, even when we were spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:4). Even though we deserved the judgment of God (for our many bad decisions), He gave us the undeserving gift of a new life. God treats us far better than we deserve.

Even though we continue to make wrong or bad decisions, God graciously gives freely to us and offers us second chances and third chances and so on.

The Bible says that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). Even though He has every right to treat us differently, it is His patience, love, and grace that help us turn to Him.

Followers of Jesus have the gift of kindness granted to them so that they can relate to other people in a similar fashion. We have been wired with a different operating system than the world.

Now, it is easy to be kind to lovable people (who are fun, easy to talk with, and who give back). However, Jesus says if we follow Him and want to take Him serious, we are to also love and be kind to those people who hate us and who are difficult to get along with. Even if they don’t deserve it, Jesus says we are to love them.

Kindness is having a tender concern for others. It is a genuine desire to treat others well and treat them better than they might deserve. A life of kindness is set on caring for others.

As you read this, before you go onto the next page or the next thing in your day, I encourage you to take a moment and thank God for His kindness to you and pray for a way to demonstrate that kindness to others today and this week.