Word of the Month: Gentleness

Close your eyes and think about the word gentle? What do you feel, hear, or see? A soft breeze on your skin. Soothing music. A grandparent holding a baby. A person carefully handling an expensive vase. A child quietly closing a door. The common denominator to all these images is a sense of calm and care. Gentleness means taking into account someone or something’s well being.

You can find various definitions of gentleness online:
• A mildness of manners or disposition
• Sensitivity of disposition and kindness of behavior, founded on strength and prompted by love. Gentleness Definition and Meaning – Bible Dictionary (biblestudytools.com)
• Quality or characteristic of being kind, tender, mild-mannered, compassionate, and considerate. To be gentle means that you show love and care for others in the way you act and speak. https://gentlechristianparenting.com/gentleness-in-the-bible/

Gentleness goes hand in hand with self control, meaning that you take time not to react too quickly with your words or actions so that you are taking into account how the things you say and do will affect other people. Some people mistakenly think gentleness means weakness, but we know that’s not true especially when we consider that Jesus was the ultimate model of gentleness.

Scripture: Proverbs 15:1; Matthew 11:29; 2 Corinthians 10:1; 1 Corinthians 4:21; Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 4:5; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:24–25

Putting it to Work: Think of ways that you can change your actions to reflect a gentle spirit.
• If gentleness is the opposite of self-interest, try putting someone else’s interest before your own. Select your brother’s favorite restaurant for a family dinner or choose your sister’s favorite music for the car ride.
• When someone is angry, respond with gentle words. You might be surprised how much this can diffuse the situation.
• And try to not respond quickly when you are angry. Take a moment to consider a calmer response.
• Be tactful in what you say when dealing with a difficult situation at work or school.
• Slow down, whether that means not scheduling so many things to do or taking more time when you do things. Slowing down can make you calmer, and being calmer can lead to a more gentle nature.
• Forgive your neighbor or friend quickly when something goes wrong.
• Listen to different opinions with an open mind and heart.
• The Bible instructs us to be gentle and respectful when correcting others, instead of arguing or being resentful, because their salvation is more important than our pride.