Gentleness
Defined: Sensitivity of disposition and kindness of behavior, founded on strength and prompted by love.
We hardly look at someone stomping or yelling and think "wow what a gentle soul"...
As I was preparing this I thought of all the ways I have kicked and stomped and thrown a tantrum in my life! Let's be real here, in the past it has been far to easy for me to get frustrated with my littles, think "why me" and get a grumpy attitude just at life... And God.. in His goodness has been so patient and kind toward me. And we are called to do the same. We are to be soft, humble, patient, full of compassion.
"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
-Colossians 3:12-13
Planting the Seed
So how do we cultivate gentleness in our lives? How can we let it flow from our mouths and our demeanor without hesitation? Well, we start with the first three fruits of the spirit and apply them to our life... LOVE, JOY, PEACE... These are the building blocks of gentleness. These are the foundations of our heart that need to be so ingrained there that all that's left to come out of us is gentleness...
"....for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh"
Matthew 12;34
To me, this is the most sobering thought... that I am RESPONSIBLE to cultivate the right heart attitude and it shows with my Mouth!
"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones"
Proverbs 16:24
"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Colossians 4:6
Let our speech be with kindness that our gentleness may be shown. Loving others through our patient compassion and love toward them, no matter the circumstance.
Growing in Grace,
Marianne