Praise Him for His gentleness

God is a gentle God. This is an idea that, although I had heard it before, first crystallized in my mind in Kiev, Ukraine. My team taught English lessons using the fruits of the Spirit as curriculum - one fruit per night. When we came to gentleness I listened intently, knowing that my understanding of this fruit was shallow. The idea was raised that God is gentle, and thus engenders gentleness in his children.

So what does it mean that God is gentle? Well, what does it mean to be gentle. Here is a working definition: Not overwhelming one that you have to power to overwhelm. Who could this describe better than God himself? God is the Almighty; He has the power to, at any time, force any person into His exclusive service. He could make us slaves, robots who do His bidding compulsively, unquestioningly, in utter submission. But instead, this mighty God quietly asks us, the weak and vulnerable, to love Him - and not without reason.

He created us, He created a world for us to inhabit and enjoy, He created all the beauty and pleasure and love that we enjoy; and then, in His great love, He sacrificed His Son so that we could come to Him and be loved in person. All He asks of us is to love Him back. That, my friends, is gentleness.

Praise the Lord, for He is gentle and does not overwhelm us. He allows us to live and strive and make decisions, and He asks us to love Him, because he first loved us.