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A Gentle and Quiet Spirit



"Gentleness is part of being feminine - part of being a woman, and God made us distinctly different from men on purpose!"
~ Melanie Chitwood ~


A mother’s soft touch on a fevered brow, a wife’s sweet kisses and caresses given in love, a friend’s kind hand upon a shoulder….gentleness. A listening ear when we are down, acceptance instead of condemnation, patience and forgiveness for clumsy mistakes….gentleness. Words of comfort for the troubled, words of hope for the beaten down, silence for the weary…gentleness.

The 21st century woman knows little of gentleness because it is not valued as a character trait. If you want to get ahead in this world, you will show your strength as a woman, and never portray anything that appears weak. Our very definition of womanhood has changed with the times and it has become quite confusing for women to know how to be feminine. Femininity is wrapped up in this simple word: gentleness.

Gentleness is not the opposite of strength. Being a gentle person does not make one powerless. The Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:29) himself was gentle and yet He had the power to control the storm with a word. A gentle spirit is a meek spirit which tells us that gentleness comes from humility. Gentleness doesn’t have to have the last word or always be right. Gentleness is concerned about the needs of others first - following Christ’s example.

A gentle spirit is someone who trusts in God’s sovereignty and is not trying to control or manipulate situations. Gentleness is strength under control; it is not weakness. A gentle spirit is a tranquility arising from within – it is being at peace with God’s sovereignty and resting in His provision. A gentle spirit is not preoccupied with self. The Lord Jesus is gentle (meek) because He does not force us to obey Him although He certainly could. The source of a gentle spirit then is our relationship with God – when we trust Him to control our lives, we can ease into a gentle attitude. Vine’s Bible dictionary describes it as “tranquility arising from within.” That is beautiful!

A gentle and quiet woman is not necessarily a mousy wife with no opinions! Strength under control describes the way we discuss important issues with our husbands. Using wisdom, we stand as an equal partner in the marriage as a gentlewoman. Women were created different from man for a reason. We display different characteristics of God in our personalities – gentleness is our unique way to show God’s image stamped in us. A gentle spirit is a cloak I wear to display all of my feminine beauty.

Gentleness is also a fruit of the Spirit – some women may seem more naturally gentle than others, but the Lord gives freely of His gifts to us all! May God be seen in me today by my gentle and quiet spirit.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 1 Peter 3:3-4




For more In other words about gentleness today, visit Iris.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Gentleness is very important. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Have a great day.
Miriam Pauline said…
Beautifully said. Bless you for sharing.
Denise said…
Thanks for sharing your gentleness with the world my friend, bless you.
This is really really good. Its true, 21st century women have forgotten about gentleness. You said everything so beautifully. I need to get back to particpating in IOW. It has been a while :) Thanks for inspiring me!!
lori said…
Heather,
You know I have said it before...your words are beautiful and 'gentle':) I LOVE coming here!
My favorite line...Gentleness is concerned about the needs of others first - that is perfectly said...
we all need to embrace the fruit! Beautiful...as usual!
peace,
lori
Anonymous said…
"Gentleness doesn’t have to have the last word or always be right. Gentleness is concerned about the needs of others first - following Christ’s example."

Amen! I learned firsthand that meekness and gentleness is important in a marriage. I showed my display of gentler behavior through acceptance and forgiveness. Bless God for His word and Spirit!
Lisa said…
Thanks for your beautifully captured thoughts. They certainly gave me perspectives of gentleness I hadn't consider.
Anonymous said…
A gentle and quiet woman is not necessarily a mousy wife with no opinions!

Whewww! I ain't mousy & I sure do need more gentleness! :) THANKS for sharing SO beautifully. It's a very touching post.
Anonymous said…
I truly enjoyed reading your post on this IOW Tuesday. The scripture you added at the end was perfect and should be what we as women hold as truth for our lives. God Bless!
Amico Dio said…
This post was... so gentle! I really can relate to so much of what you said. Thanks for the simplicity of a well written post.

God's best to you!
Toknowhim said…
Love your definitions of gentleness... it takes it to a whole different level. Blessings..
eph2810 said…
It is so true. Many see gentleness as meekness. You pointed to so well to how our Lord was - gentle, yet strong.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this week's IOW quote.

Be blessed today and always.
Lori said…
"A gentle spirit is someone who trusts in God’s sovereignty and is not trying to control or manipulate situations." And God made women, women of influence and that is a respsonsibilty we have to keep under God's control.

Great post.

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