One of the people that comes immediately to mind when I think of the word gentleness is Gordon MacDonald. I had the privilege and joy of meeting Brother MacDonald at a Wednesday night prayer gathering. He was in his 90s when we met, yet still very active in ministry. Gordon exuded all aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, but particularly evident in him was the characteristic of gentleness. Truthfully, I don’t know that I’ve ever met a more gentle soul than Gordon.
GENTLENESS: acquiescence to authority and consideration of others.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)
As believers, we are no longer lead according to the Law, but rather by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. We follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, not the Law of Moses. We accept the authority of the Holy Spirit in our lives and submit to the leading of the Spirit. God is our authority. He is in the driver’s seat. He’s not our co-pilot, but the pilot who designed the plane and planned the course. Through the Holy Spirit, the Lord navigates the direction of our lives.
You and I could never fulfill the obligations decreed by the Law. Thankfully, through God’s grace, we live under a new covenant made possible by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the demands of the Law on our behalf, serving as the unblemished sacrifice for our iniquities. Overcome by grace, we should automatically be more gentle. After all, we have no reason be brash or braggadocious. We are servants of the Lord Most High. Our servant’s heart should reflect a gentle spirit and even gentler soul.
My friend Gordon did many great things. He didn’t brag about any of them, because he recognized it was all God working through him, not anything Gordon did or didn’t do. He recognized the role the Holy Spirit played in his life and willingly submitted to the Spirit’s leading daily. When we seek to serve first, we are humbled and thus become more gentle, because it is in humility that our gentleness can be found.
Prayer: Father God, help me be a more gentle person today. Let me follow the Spirit’s leading. Let me show grace and love to those I encounter. May they sense the gentleness in my heart, soul, and mind. Help me do this in Your strength, not my own. If there is any good found in me, may You get all the glory because You are the source of that goodness. Help me reflect a gentleness throughout all my dealings in this world today.
May the Lord of Lords bless you today!
The Devotional Guy™
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The Devotional Guy™ 
Thank you, RAINER. As always I leave with inspiration. Today is needed.
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My pleasure! Glad you left feeling inspired. Thanks for reading!
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