Have you ever been met with a gentleness you didn’t expect? A few years ago, with the help of wise counsel and prompting of the Holy Spirit, I felt convicted of my sin and went to a friend to ask for their forgiveness. Honestly, I was terrified to talk to this friend. I felt embarrassed and was fearful of how they might respond. By the grace of God, this friend met me with extreme gentleness and graciousness that I know only came from the Holy Spirit. We left the conversation feeling unified, mutually encouraged, and more connected to God and each other.
I share this story to say that being gentle with our words goes a long way. I also will be the first to admit that I’m not always gentle with my words. There are times my words are short, blunt, and judgmental. But I have seen the Lord at work to grow me in gentleness as I’ve steadily walked with Him.
The Holy Spirit’s Role in Producing Fruit
You see, we can’t produce the fruit of the Spirit on our own. As much as I would love a math equation that will magically produce every fruit of the Spirit in my life, it’s not possible. There is no way for us to conjure up enough strength to become more like Christ. And that is a beautiful thing! If God would have made us strong enough to produce fruit on our own, we would have no need for Him.
So, how do we grow in the fruit of the Spirit? By the power of the Holy Spirit. During Jesus’s earthly ministry, He taught that it was better for Him to leave and go to heaven than to stay with the disciples because the Holy Spirit would be sent to them (John 16:7-11). I can imagine the disciples had feelings of doubt or disbelief. How could it be better for Jesus to leave them? Yet, they remained faithful. Just as Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit came.
We know that everyone who believes in Jesus as their Lord and Savior receives the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation. What a gift! The Holy Spirit’s role is to transform the believer’s life. The fruit of the Spirit in someone’s life is evidence that they have a relationship with Jesus. In Galatians 5, we are introduced to the fruit of the Spirit in congruence to the fruit of the flesh. Of course, on this side of eternity, we still battle with sin. But, as God sanctifies us by the power of His Spirit, we are growing to look more like His Son.
Jesus’s Example of Gentleness
Our SOAP verse today empowers us to be gentle with our words. How come? It shows Christ to those around us. In Matthew 11, Jesus describes Himself as “gentle and lowly in heart.” Jesus wasn’t harsh, cruel, or unkind. In fact, He was quite the opposite. In the face of persecution, Jesus was silent (Matthew 26:62-63). He didn’t feel the need to assert His authority and prove His dominance. He was honest but in the most gentle and humble way.
I’m sure you can name a time in your life when a friend was gentle with you when they could’ve been harsh. How did it make you feel? How did it affect your relationship with them? Did it point you toward Jesus or away from Jesus? I know I still have plenty of room to grow in becoming gentler, but friend, let’s do it together. For the sake of representing Christ to those around us, I pray the fruit of the Spirit is ever increasing in our lives.
