What does the fruit gentleness actually mean? Does it mean to be happy, to smile, to look happy, to be tolerant and accept and approve all things? Does it mean, to be gentle and let other people walk all over you? Or does it mean something else? What does the Bible say about the fruit gentleness?
What does gentleness mean?
Let’s have a look at the original Greek Word, which is ‘chrêstotês’ (G5544 Strong Concordance). ‘Chrêstotês’ comes from G543 and means: usefulness, that is, moral excellence (in character or demeanour : – gentleness, good (-ness), kindness.
When I look at these words, I can conclude, that ‘chrêstotês’ means so much more, than just gentleness or kindness.
It means, that when you are gentle, you are useful, and live in moral excellence in character and demeanour. In other words, you walk in integrity.
It means, that you give your whole life, to Jesus Christ. That you walk, the way He walked, and having the same character and behaviour. It means that you are gentle, good and kind towards others.
Producing the fruit gentleness (or kindness), means so much more than just smiling and being friendly. It means, that you are useful and walk in integrity. I would like to emphasise integrity, because many people, including believers, don’t walk in integrity anymore.
Walking in integrity
As a born again Christian integrity is an important virtue to have. Be honest, sincere and transparent in everything you do and don’t do things in secret. Because God sees everything, He is omnipotent. Don’t walk in lawlessness, but walk in the law of the Spirit and be led by Gods Word. Don’t be let by fame, money, greed, lusts and desires etc.
Many times people are so focused on money (we might even say obsessed), that they often lose their integrity. I don’t know why I am writing this down, but there shall be a reason for it. Let us go back to the fruit gentleness.
Who are you really?
Let your moderation be known unto all men (Php 4:5)
For the outside world, you may be seen as a very social, kind, friendly, happy person. You can be kind, social, and joyful to everyone and people might think: ‘what a kind person!’.
But when you come home and see that your child has made a real big mess in the house, what do you do? Are you still being kind and friendly? Or……
Or maybe you are a very social, happy, friendly, and kind person to the outside world, but as soon as you come home you are grumpy, and blunt to your family members. You will not endure many things, and become easily irritated and angry, as soon as one of your family members do something, that goes against your will.
Or maybe the counter clerk in the shop treats you very rude, do you stay calm and treat him/her kindly? Or do you treat him/her the way (s)he has treated you?
When someone doesn’t do your will, or doesn’t treat you the way you want to be treated, do you stay gentle and kind?
If you would like to know, if you bear the fruit gentleness, then ask your family members. They will tell you.
Submit your life to Jesus Christ
When you give your life to Jesus Christ and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you will receive the Holy Spirit in His fullness, not just part of Him.
But it is up to you, to make every part of your life submissive to Him.
The more your mind is being renewed by the Word of God, the more your mind will line up with the will of God. You will keep His commandments and live in His will.
You will begin to live and rely on the Word, instead of the world and your flesh.
You won’t rely on your senses, circumstances and your feelings and emotions; when everything goes well, you are kind and friendly, but when things don’t go the way you want them to go and goes against your will, then you will be that kind and gentle anymore.
The fruit gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit, it is not a fruit of the flesh.
When you are gentle for one moment and the other moment, you will get mad and angry, then this gentleness is not a fruit of the Spirit. When you walk after the Spirit the fruit, which you produce will be permanent and consistent, and will be part of your character. It defines who you are.
When circumstances and situations don’t go as planned, you stay gentle and calm. When someone is correcting or confronting you, you accept it and you will think about it, instead of becoming mad, offended and indignant.
We are made in His image
There are no hidden sides in God. He has revealed everything in His Word. His Word testifies of who He is. When you have a relationship with Him, you will get to know Him, by His Word and you shall see, that He doesn’t lie but that He is trustworthy.
Every Word, which God has spoken, and still speaks, is the truth; there is no single lie in the Bible.
How do I know for sure? Because ¼ part of the Bible exists out of prophecies, and up to this day, every prophecy has been fulfilled. There are still some prophecies written in His Word, which are not yet fulfilled, but we know for sure, that in due time, they will come all to pass.
God is gentle
God is gentle. His kindness is one of His characteristics;
- Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city (Psa 31:21)
- Praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD (Psa 117:1-2)
- In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer (Isa 54:8)
- For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee (Isa 54:10)
You have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. Therefore, the fruit gentleness (kindness) should become one of your characteristics. When you renew your mind with the Word of God and apply the Word in your life, you will begin to walk after the Word and the Spirit. When you walk after the Spirit, you will produce the fruit of gentleness (kindness).
However, when you renew your mind, there will also be some ‘testings’. Situations will come, in which you have a choice: to stay kind or to become irritated, offended and eventually mad.
You decide, whether your flesh reigns or your spirit reigns
Paul said in Col 3:12, that you should put on kindness , therefore it is an action. Sometimes your feelings won’t cooperate with you, they don’t want to be gentle or kind. But it’s up to you, what you do: will you feed your flesh, or your spirit? Will you give into your feelings and feed your flesh? Or do you resist your feelings and cast your feelings down, by speaking the Word of God, and feed your spirit? You decide, if your flesh reigns or the Holy Spirit reigns.
Overcome evil with good
In Proverbs it is written: If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee (Pro 25:21-22)
We read the same commandment in Romans: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:19-21)
A born believer distinguishes him/herself in this behaviour. Because how can you be nice and kind, to someone, who didn’t treat you well? This is only possible if you walk after the Spirit.
When you have crucified your flesh and know who you are in Christ. You shall walk after the Spirit. He tells you what to do, instead of your senses telling you what to do. The Spirit wants you to stay kind to everyone, no matter how they treat you. When you live in the Word and after the Spirit, then nothing shall be able to touch you and you shall remain gentle, and kind, to everyone and bear the fruit gentleness.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
