Nine Fruits: Gentleness Series

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

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.

Introduction:

Gentleness, the KJV word is of course, Meekness

I think Gentleness is an easier word for us today

We don’t often use Meek

For some reason I don’t believe that we have a good handle on

Gentleness

I think we believe it is weakness, but it is not

Its a restrained strength

Think of the term, “Gentleman”

Gentleness is a humble, non-threatening demeanor

That comes from a position of strength

It is useful in calming anger in yourself and in others

It not weak, it is not passive

Fragile: Handle with Care

When I was in college I had a job w/USPS...

How often have these words been put on a shipment to protect the contents of a package.

In an ideal perfect world such boxes would be gently moved from place to place and nothing would ever be damaged.

However, in the real world

“Fragile: Handle with Care” means nothing

These words are overlooked on packages

Boxes are thrown together and carelessly dropped

Packages are opened to reveal broken / damaged contents

I wonder if God were to have placed a “Handle with Care” label on people if it would likewise be ignored?

How often is the heart of an individual crushed or the spirit of a child broken?

Words and actions damage and wound everyday.

Healing and restoration to the human heart can be a slow difficult process; sometimes only God can make the wounded new again.

I believe that Gentleness is Handling People With Care

Gentleness Handles With Care

Gentleness responds with care

Responds with compassion

Gentleness sees the best in people

Gentleness seeks to understand what is going on

Rather than lashing out in anger

Responding with care

This is really the opposite way of how we naturally want to react

We face situations every day

That we have to respond to

And how do we respond to these situations?

Do we respond with care? With gentleness?

Or do we respond with anger?

With an abrasive, rough, mean spirit?

We are put to this Gentleness test every single day

Whether its with your children getting on your nerves

And wrecking the house

Or if its someone at work who is causing problems And going behind your back

Or if its your Spouse who doesn’t seem to be keeping up their commitments

Whatever it is,

we face situations everyday that we have to respond to

And our natural response is not Gentleness but often it is Anger

So really the opposite of handling with care,

is responding in Anger

James 1:19-21

19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

20 for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

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.

This is the guide today,

This is where we want to go

Quick to Listen

Slow to Speak

Slow to become Angry

This is Gentleness

Why should we seek this

v20 tells us that man’s anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires

Gentleness produces righteousness

Getting angry doesn’t

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

2 Categories of Anger: Spew

This is the person who everyone knows when you are angry

B’c there is a short fuse

And the bomb just blew up

And the explosion is very obvious

But this is not the right way...

Proverbs 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

Some of us this is how we deal with our anger

Some think this okay

B’c the problem arises

The situation comes their way

And they blow up, let it all out

Explode at anyone and everyone in the room

And then they are fine

And they think “Oh I’m glad I let it out, I feel so much better”

But the problem is you just transferred all that

Negativity and Anger to everyone else in the room

There is shrapnel and smoke and bomb explosions all over the room

Everyone has been asking us, what Gender...

Throw the bat...

We do foolish things when we spew our anger

We’ve got to seek God’s Gentleness in our life!

2 Categories of Anger: Stew

Stewers suppress their anger

Psalm 32:3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

He bottled it up

On the outside it looked like he was okay

The thing about Stewing is really the opposite of Love