GodReflection: Power Words

So I say, walk by the Spirit—the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness—Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5

Gentleness isn’t often a trait found in the young. Little ones knock over keepsakes. Older little ones express their every thought—appropriate or not.

Limited gentleness remains characteristic through adolescents. Gentleness comes with age and to full fruition only as a fruit of the Spirit.

The words of gentleness are words like carefulness, compassionate, considerate, kindness, mild, soft, sympathetic, sweetness, and tenderness.

The roots of gentleness begin in the child. The innocence and immaturity of children prohibits the type of soil that brings gentleness to full bloom.

The soil of gentleness comes with the mature life propelled by the Spirit.

Large roll calls of mentors surround my life.

No mentor made more impact than my great uncle Dr. Owen E. Puckett.  He lived to the age of 93. The fruit of the Spirit took root and produced in his life. God showed brightly through his gentleness.

Besides seeing him at church, family gatherings, and visiting in his home, I remember encounters with him in the vaccination line at school. Dr. Puckett was the health officer responsible for immunization of our county.

The Spanish-speaking residents lovingly referred to him as “Dr. Vacaña,” the Spanish word for “vaccination.” With loving care, the gentle physician administrated over seventy-three thousand shots to squeamish children and their “faking toughness,” parents over a period of three decades.

Since his death forty-six years ago, I have witnessed a spiritual phenomenon I first noticed in his life—gentleness reaches its earthly peak within elderly Christ followers.

Here’s how I think it works.

Grains of gentleness placed by God reside in every human.

With maturity, the grains grow or die as we make wise or unwise choices and as we react to adversity.

Gentleness can only reach its highest potential when life is lived in step with God’s design.

Once I made the “in step” decision and placed my trust in Jesus through baptism, the Holy Spirit entered my life to begin his work in me and through me.

The Holy Spirit is the gift. Gentleness is a fruit that only can reach maturity when grown by the Spirit.

For reasons I don’t understand God grows followers at the pace of a snail. The Spirit matures gentleness through tribulation, through prayer, through a humble heart, and through living in step with Jesus.

At the same time there is an action on my part. The Apostle Paul tells Christ followers to clothe ourselves with gentleness and to pursue it.

Gentleness turns out to be a lifetime work. The Spirit works from within while I attempt to make my own heart-soil fertile. It is in fertile soil that gentleness becomes a fruit to bless all with whom I come into contact.

I wish I could say I am there. Unfortunately I’ve a long way to go. However when I think of the gentle doctor and the Gentle Shepherd Physician I have  visuals to power the word gentleness in my walk.

Stay tuned.

Dr. Gary J. Sorrells – A GodReflection on Gentleness as a Power Word.

Gary@GodReflection.org