Fruit of the Spirit: Part 8 – Gentleness

The Holy Spirit works in us to be more like Christ, and part of the Fruit of the Spirit, or results, of that work, is gentleness. Gentleness, also translated “meekness,” does not mean weakness. Rather, it involves humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, restrained behavior toward others. The opposites of gentleness are anger, a desire for revenge, and self-aggrandizement. It takes a strong person to be truly gentle. Jesus gave us the perfect picture of gentleness: “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey,” and now He offers us His gentleness as a gift. If we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will be filled with the fruit of gentleness.