GENTLENESS

The word 'gentleness' sounds so much like weakness that we are tempted to think of the word 'wimp'. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Jesus said, 'Blessed are the meek [gentle], for they shall inherit the
earth' (Matthew 5:5 KJV). Notice, the gentle don't strive, manipulate
or compete like others, yet they inherit everything. When you 'inherit'
something you don't have to strive for it, you receive it because
you're loved, valued, and part of the family. Gentleness is born of
love. It refuses to rush to judgment; doesn't drop names or force its
way because it has nothing to prove; is troubled when the structure,
the budget or the corporate image becomes more important than the
people we're called to serve; is grieved when the schedule leaves no
time to stop and care for the young, the old, the sick or the hurting.
Gentleness is a virtue hard to find in a society that admires
toughness. We're encouraged to get things done and get them done on
time, even though people get trampled on in the process. Success,
accomplishment and productivity count, but at what cost? There's no
place for gentleness in such a milieu. Paul was a powerhouse for God,
yet he wrote, '...we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for
her little children' (1 Thessalonians 2:7 NIV). A gentle person treads
lightly, listens carefully, looks tenderly, and touches with reverence
and sensitivity. The gentle know that true growth requires nurture, not
force. So let's dress ourselves in gentleness, for in our tough and
unbending world, gentleness is a vivid reminder of God's presence among
us.

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