Gentleness

     I've had some lessons in gentleness over the past couple weeks.  I've always thought that character quality and being male didn't line up very well, but God has been teaching me otherwise.  There is no doubt that I have experienced God's gentleness toward me, and as I have pondered His gentleness recently, He has been calling me to a greater degree of it in my own life. One of the passages He is using is Eph. 4:1-3 where we read, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
     Since gentleness is a part of God's character, and He invites me to be an imitator of Himself, part of my calling is to be gentle.  Gal. 6:1,2 says, "Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted."  There are multiple layers to explore in this verse, but for our current topic, I am given clear instruction to exercise gentleness in my communication with others with the purpose of restoration in mind.  That's God's heart coming through.  He delights in reconciling people to Himself. (Col. 1:19,20)  He doesn't deal with me as my sin deserves (Ps. 103:8-14), but invites me to come with my burdens, to come with my insufficiencies and receive from His generosity. (Matt. 11:28-30; James 1:5)  And His promise is that He won't roll His eyes and express frustration or find fault with me, but He will teach me and give me what I need.  I really need to learn His ways!  So often my response is more in line with sledge hammer remodeling, trying to shame certain behavior out of people.  And usually it drives people away and causes them to not feel safe sharing their struggles with me, rather than opening a door to promote restoration and healing.
     Along this same line, Paul's instruction to Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:24-26 says, And the Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." God has rescued me out of captivity into the freedom of His glorious light, and now invites me to be a rescuer.  In order to participate, I need to practice gentleness.
     There have been tears along the way, but I think I am learning.  And I want to continue to learn, to grow in my conformity to Christ, to be the man God desires in my dealings with others.