Loved by a Gentle God

Paul's definition of gentleness in Ephesians 4:2 describes two qualities: the ability to soothe, and the ability of something powerful to remain under control. When we begin to understand this concept of gentleness, and as the Holy Spirit grows this fruit in us, our lives become revolutionized.

As Christians, we need to evaluate ourselves based on God's example of gentleness. The way God sees us is reflected by the mother in Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun. It's the story of an African American man who makes mistakes that destroy his family's hopes and dreams. When he confesses and asks for forgiveness, his sister, in great anger, screams at him and calls him despicable names. The mother interrupts her to say, "I thought I taught you to love him."

The sister shouts back, "Love him? There is nothing left to love."

The mother replies, "There is always something left to love. And if you ain't learned that, you ain't learned nothing. Have you cried for that boy today? I don't mean for yourself and for the family 'cause we lost the money. I mean for him; what he's been through and what it done to him. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most: when they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain't through learning, because that ain't the time at all. It's when he's at his lowest and can't believe in hisself 'cause the world done whipped him so."

Gentleness revolutionizes our view of how God treats us, how we evaluate ourselves, and how we relate to others.

[Q] How would you define gentleness and who has most demonstrated that quality to you?

[Q] How has God been gentle with you?

Make a Change: Using a concordance or an online resource, look up passages on God's gentleness. Let this view of God soak deep into your heart.

For an expanded version of this study, download "Galatians: The Fruit of the Spirit." To download more studies like this, go to ChristianBibleStudies.com.

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