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
B’c Love keeps no record of wrongdoings
But stewers keep records, and they keep good long records!
Sometimes we are Stewers with our Spouses
Honey, why didn’t you...
Don’t you remember 8 years ago...
And you’re caught off guard
Wow! How did you remember that?
For the Stewer today, you’ve got to release and forgive
Jesus Handles Us With Care
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."
Gentleness is handling with care
When we fall, the Lord does not crush us
He doesn’t give up on us
He doesn’t verbally attack us
Instead he leads us with a gentle yoke
John 8 shows Jesus’ gentle touch for the immoral, the woman caught in adultery.
[Tell the story.]
Jesus did not condemn this woman for her sin. Jesus had the right to throw the first stone because he was without sin, but He didn’t. Instead Jesus reached out to her with a gentle touch and told her, “Go and sin no more.”
Luke 19 shows Jesus’ gentle touch for the dishonest and self-centered, Zacchaeus the tax collector.
[Tell the story.] Others hated Zacchaeus; he had cheated them out of their money. Bitterness and resentment along with a fair dose of jelousy caused others to push Zacchaeus away; he was a dishonest man who would never change his ways. The gentle touch of Jesus transformed Zacchaeus’ life. Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house.”
Why didn’t Jesus condemn these people? Why didn’t he treat them as their sins deserve? Jesus did not come with judgment to crush and destroy them for their sin. Jesus came in gentleness to restore their relationship with God. Jesus came to save the lost through God’s gentle touch.
John 3:17
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
If You Want To Change The Fruit
You Have To Change The Root
There are all kinds of ways people respond to difficult things...
Spewing
Stewing
Substance abuse...
Over Indulging in Food
Over Indulging in Shopping
Take these things to God
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Developed by his leading yoke....
How is a muscle developed and strength increased? Through resistance! As we have been playing softball I’ve noticed I don’t hit the ball as far, or run as fast as I used to because my muscles don’t face the same resistance they did fifteen years or so ago.
How is the roughness of wood smoothed and prepared for a beautiful finish? The abrasiveness of sandpaper; something rougher and stronger is applied to the surface of the wood to remove the rough spots.
