Beloved child of God, listen to your Father's heart and his ways for you in Galatians 5:22-23,25. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control... Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

The gentleness of Jesus was seen in his days on earth with children, with women, with outcasts, and with his quarrelsome band. He invites you to come to his rest when you are weary and burdened. He wants you to take his easy well-fitting yoke made by the Carpenter of Nazareth. He invites you to let him off-load your burden onto himself.

Your Father deals gently with you according to your weakness and ignorance (Heb. 5:2). The infinite God of the universe has all power and might, but he sees and cares when a sparrow falls. He cares about your tears and puts them in his bottle. His gentle personal attention is beyond comprehension, yet you can gladly receive it.

Gentleness is not weakness. It is the bridled strength of the infinite power of God under his direction. Jesus could have called more than twelve legions of angels to rescue him from the Roman and Jewish authorities, yet he submitted to arrest and crucifixion, because the power of his love chose suffering on the cross for you.

The ultimate picture of the restrained strength of Jesus is in Philippians 2:5-8. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!" Fall on your face before that magnificent portrait of your Savior, and rise to take your position in his humility and meekness.

Gentleness is biblical meekness, a positive quality, and Jesus commended it when he said that the meek will inherit the earth (Mat. 5:5). He lives the strength of his gentleness in you, so that at all times you can have his attitude of holy gentleness toward others.

Gentleness is linked with humility, as Paul says, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" (Eph. 4:2). God tells you to clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, as you bear with others and forgive their grievances against you as he did (Col. 3:12-13). He chose you as his holy and dearly loved one to wear gentleness in a way that reflects well on him.

Be blessed with his gentleness in dealing with all people. Be blessed with the gentle answer of Jesus that turns away wrath. Be blessed with being wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove. Be blessed with the wisdom of gentleness that is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (Jam. 3:17).

Be blessed with the fruit of gentleness that the Spirit produces in you,
your appropriate response from his gentle strength (Gal. 5:23).