Did you know that gentleness is not weakness, but it is rather a fruit of the spirit that demonstrates strength of character?

Yes, I know that in our world, many would believe that being gentle means being passive or powerless. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, gentleness is a powerful tool that can have a tremendous impact on those around us, and it is an essential characteristic of the believer in Christ. It is important to develop this noble character of strength and tenderness, which will enable us to represent Christ to the world as we invite others to taste and see His meekness.

Gentleness is particularly important because it is a quality that helps us to interact with others in a way that is pleasing to God. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. -Colossians 3:12. God has commanded each of us to be gentle towards each other. As we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, each of us can develop this fruit of the spirit so that our lives can be pleasing to God. Continue reading →

Self-control is the last segment of the fruit of the spirit which is mentioned in Galatians 5: 22-23. Self-control is the ability to resist temptation and to exercise restraint over our thoughts, words, emotions and actions.

Can this noble virtue be cultivated in each of us?

Oh yes! We all can develop self-control when we surrender our lives to God and live in total obedience to Him. As we employ self-control in our thoughts, speech and actions, we will grow in our relationship with Christ as we strive to reflect His character.

One area where we need self-control is in our thoughts. Our minds can be a battlefield, and the enemy often tries to plant thoughts of fear, doubt, and insecurity in our minds. However, we have the power to resist these thoughts and to replace them with the truth of God’s Word. Philippians 4:8 encourages us to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. By focusing our thoughts on these things, we can exercise self-control over our minds and resist the enemy’s attacks. Continue reading →