Its a way of dealing with people, yourself, and God. For more help incorporating gentleness into your parenting, consider working with Meaghan.Learn More About Meaghan here.Enjoy this post? Consider what would happen if the omnipotent God was characterized by harshness with his creatures made of dust. . An example of gentleness can be seen in John 8, when the Pharisees bring a woman who was caught in adultery to Jesus. And they bring the gospel of peace with gentleness and love, not harshness. Masters of Self | Desiring God Against such things there is no law. opposite of gentleness in the bible. All rights reserved. When Jesus said Blessed are the meek, He was not talking about people who are doormats or pushovers. Teach Them Obedience. What is Love? | The Bridge Bible Fellowship People who are gentle tend to be happier and more content with life. Right here on Churchgists, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on examples of gentleness in the bible, goodness definition bible, bible characters who showed gentleness, and so much more. Gentle Like a Shepherd. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.. As our Lord and Master, He is not harsh, overbearing, and oppressive, but gentle in His government. Scripture says for a woman to have that internal heart attitude of meekness or gentleness and a quiet spirit gives her a beauty that is imperishable. To me, its important to raise my children with gentleness and tenderness. Part I: Meekness and Humility Toward God In the Bible, meekness is primarily emphasized as submissiveness toward God (rather than toward men). To be gentle means showing love and care for others in how you act and speak. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! 1. Therefore, God's chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, But you, man of God, run from these things,and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,love, endurance, and gentleness. Such an invitation, from such a person, is precious beyond words. we will do quite the opposite and will experience a SUPERNATURAL life filled with fruit that the Holy Spirit . We see in Jesus a deeper definition of gentleness. Here is a sample of their uses. As a parent, I see gentleness as one of the most important character qualities we need to focus on in our family. We also model for them the importance of exhibiting self-control and respect. Far from dismissing gentleness, the Scriptures speak of gentleness as the way the kingdom of God "gets things done.". Sensitivity of disposition and kindness of behavior, founded on strength and prompted by love. Heres everything you need to know about this virtue and how you can use it in your life! It is a trait that is godly, and as His children God expects us to become gentle, as He is. That kind of mass violence is the opposite of kindness, goodness, and gentleness. Matthew 6:14-15 says, For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. No Meekness Without Might: What We Learn from Christ's Gentleness The Fruit of the Holy Spirit What is self-control. I am not affectionate, and I fail to give loving hugs. This is shown in our thoughts and in the way we interact with those around us. We could all use some extra tips for living out gentleness these days. . Each aspect of this fruit is characteristic of Christ Jesus. General Editor. 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Prautes describes a condition of mind and heartan internal attitudewhereas gentleness (mildness combined with tenderness) refers to actionsan external behavior. And does it accomplish things? 5:22). Reach out to the person who hurt you and try to reconcile. 16 Best Bible Verses About Teaching Children in God's Way Gentleness extends grace (undeserved favor), love, and kindness to even the most difficult-to-like people. When someone considers someone to have the quality of epiekes, they would say that this is a pleasurable person to be around. Its a way of life. There have always been arguments on whether it is an attribute to desire or avoid. We are to exercise our spiritual strength in love. Your email address will not be published. It's a beauty that you don't have to go through all kinds of cosmetic surgery or makeup routines to preserve. Gentleness is closely related to humility and meekness. To understand what gentleness looks like in practice, lets look at some examples from scripture: Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. I know some people who have a lot of gentleness. Meaghan is a homeschooling mom of 3 boys and a gentle Christian parenting coach. Paul showed kindness and gentleness toward those who persecuted him (see Acts 23). 11 Points: How Did Aaron Die in the Bible? Jesus had it: " I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls " ( Matthew 11:29, ESV). We take those $ and give them to developing our Children's Programs. Required fields are marked *. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. By practicing gentleness, we show others the love and kindness of God. Its not a weakness, but a strength. Gentleness is closely related to humility and meekness. In doing so, we reflect the character of our Heavenly Father and demonstrate his love to the world. Its a quality of character. What is gentleness as a Fruit of the Spirit? | 412teens.org Prautes is also used to translate a different Hebrew word that is often translated the poor. This is the case in Job 24:4, Isaiah 26:6, Zechariah 9:9, and Zephaniah 3:12. Gentleness. You canread my full affiliate disclosure here. We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children.. But the more I study, the more I find that gentleness is one of the chief Christian virtues. Some of these people include Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mother Teresa. This means that when we see someone in need, we can no longer ignore them or pass them off as someone elses problem. We grow in gentleness much in the way that we grow in every fruitwe abide in Jesus. "We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children."1 Thessalonians 2:7 What is the opposite of gentleness? 13:5) That means we need to recognize when our anger has run out of control and learn how to stop it before it gets out of hand. opposite of gentleness in the bible. Let believers clothe themselves "with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" ( Col 3:12 ). Finally, we can incorporate gentleness into our own lives. 8 Verses to Memorize about Biblical Gentleness | Open the Bible Gentleness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and it's not just a nice thing to be. A passage from the Bible is even more powerful if we read what comes before it: at the end of chapter ten, the prophet Isaiah says that God is going to cut down all the trees, and that's why there's "a stump" when this passage begins. From these examples of gentleness in the bible, we can picture a soft touch, calm reassurance, and a loving hand. Here are some steps you can take to learn how to be more gentle with others: 1. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. The bible verses are quoted below in the NIV version, but if you click the links, you can see the verse in other translations. Proud member Paul showed kindness and gentleness toward those who persecuted him (see Acts 23). The apostle Paul wrote, Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32). He does not keep record of our wrongs, but offers forgiveness if we come to Him. The Bible is replete with commands for us to be gentle. The qualities to which gentleness is joined elucidate its setting and character. It seems to be synonymous with being a good person. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit What is faithfulness? Gentleness is the quality or characteristic of being kind, tender, mild-mannered, compassionate, and considerate. Note here that the opposite of gentleness is a desire for revenge, anger, and self -aggrandizement. So, what does gentleness mean? But gentleness is also opposed to lazy apathy and insensitivity. brutality. The Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek NT defines it this way: Prautes denotes the humble and gentle attitude which expresses itself, in particular, in a patient submissiveness to offense, free from malice and desire for revenge controlled strength, the ability to bear reproaches and slights without bitterness and resentment; the ability to provide a soothing influence on someone who is in a state of anger, bitterness and resentment against life the word indicates an obedient submissiveness to God and His will, with unwavering faith and enduring patience displaying itself in a gentle attitude and kind acts toward others, and this often in the face of opposition.. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" ( Gal 5:22-23 ), a cluster of qualities each of which reinforces and finds expression in the others. He will still be gentle and lowly in heart. Christ himself was a model of gentleness, and he calls us to follow his example. Honestly, a change in our worldview/theology would do a great deal of work here as well. Gentleness is an important quality for Christians to develop if they want to be effective in spreading Gods Word and helping others come closer to Christ. Gentleness is when the stronger restrain their strength for the sake of the weaker. Consider how you talk to yourself. Its about how we treat others, even when they dont treat us well. 202 Synonyms & Antonyms of GENTLENESS | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus Focus on the positive qualities of the person who hurt you instead of their negative actions. Although gentleness in the Bible is also translated as "meekness". We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. All rights reserved. It is shown in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit (Proverbs 15:4). It requires humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, kind behavior towards others. Take out time to visit our Website for more information on similar topics. He comes to them not "with a whip [but] in love and with a gentle spirit" ( 1 Cor 4:21 ). What does gentleness mean? Explained by Sharing Culture Before we can begin to unpack what it means to have gentleness we must first look into the meaning of the word. Resentfulness and divisiveness. Always be humble andgentle. When we are patient and kind with those who are hurting, we offer them a glimpse of the hope and healing that is found in Jesus. Gentleness is not just a nice thing to be; its a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Seek counseling or therapy if youre struggling to let go of the pain. By showing gentleness towards others, we are following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and set an example for others to follow. Being gentle makes others more willing to listen to you. Developing Christian Gentleness | Jim Erwin