“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious…
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For
‘Whoever desires to love life
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit;
let him turn away from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it…’
“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” 1 Peter 3:3-4,8-11,14-16
“But the fruit of the Spirit is… gentleness.” Galatians 5:22-23
The rough and tumble of bombastic rhetoric and tough aggression marks a stark contrast to the godly character prescribed in scripture. The gentleness God deems imperishable and precious is often dissed or dismissed as weak and without value by the world. The gentleness of civility and calm reason for hope gets a hard knock in a culture of shout your truth and stand your ground. Yet, the Lord makes clear His expectations for life in the mix of materialism and temptation, and His Spirit works these in and out of us in beautiful ways.
As is often true with biblical commands, there are don’ts that accompany dos. In order to behave one way, we must put off opposing ways. We must turn focus from the external to the internal, attitude from cold and hard to warm and tender, pride and stubborn selfishness to humility and ready submission. We must speak goodness and truth instead of evil and deceit, and reject harshness in order to practice gentleness. (Ephesians 4:1-2; Titus 3:1-2)
What are we doing to develop a gentle quiet spirit? Let this be your adorning doesn’t just happen. Are we even aware of our roughness of manner, stringent demeanor, impatient and bothered expressions? Have we taken responsibility for our sarcastic bite, snippy tone of voice, and irritable responses when we’re inconvenienced or have to yield control? Do we own temper or cursing that needs confessing, eradicating, and replacing? Knowing where and how we are not gentle clears the way for Spirit-led transformation. (Proverbs 15:1)
Would we ask God to convict us into repentance and change? Then how will we begin to practice gentleness of spirit, action, and words? Where will we begin to stay quiet to listen better, or bless instead of curse, so others see and are drawn to the grace of God? “Let your gentleness be known to everyone.” (Philippians 4:5; James 1:19-20)
Father, develop and demonstrate gentleness in and through me, to Your glory.
As the rain and snow 