The Fruit of the Spirit: Gentle and Strong

by David Chadwick

Gentleness is the eighth fruit of the Holy Spirit.

The Greek word for gentleness is praus. It’s the only adjective Jesus ever uses to describe himself (Matthew 11:30).

The word literally means “bridled power.” Picture a fierce, strong stallion who is bridled by a rider. It is able to run and jump over high walls, but because of the bridle in its mouth is able to correctly direct the powerful force within. This is true gentleness.

Philippians 4:5 says, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” Other translations say to let your gentleness be evident to all. Surely there is an aspect of gentleness that is steady, reasonable, certain. A sure-footed and secure disposition.

Gentleness also implies great humility, which shows us why Jesus used it to describe himself. Jesus was the ultimate display of humility and used his supernatural strength to give his life away as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

We see another example of the Father’s heart of gentleness in Isaiah 40:11, “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”

When gentleness is evident in the life of a believer, humility permeates everything!

Tenderness will shine through your interactions. You will know that all of your gifts and talents are bridled by the Holy Spirit, controlled by him, and are to be used for his glory. A gentle life seeks the will of the Spirit, knowing that all glory belongs to God and every good and perfect gift comes from him (James 1:17).

As you operate more and more in humility, you will learn to reflect Jesus more and more. A life controlled by the Holy Spirit will reflect submission to the Father, even in the midst of your humanity.

Tough and tender. Strong and loving. This is gentleness. Let’s all be more and more connected to the Spirit and pray he will give us more gentleness.

The Fruit of the Spirit: Full of Faith

by David Chadwick

The seventh fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness.

One element of faithfulness is seeking to cultivate a life full of faith. Pursuing faith. Questing after it. Asking God for more and more faith. Constantly living in a way that says to our

Father, “I believe but help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

After all, without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

Take a moment and read through Hebrews 11. Many scholars refer to this chapter as the “Hall of Faith” because it highlights the faith that is woven throughout all of Scripture in different characters.

Hebrews 11:1-3 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

When faithfulness is evident in your life, it does not just mean that you cultivate a life of faith, but it also means that you become more faithful. You become a person of your word. More loyal. More stable. You do what you say you’ll do. You let your yes be yes and your no be no (Matthew 5:37, James 5:12). You fight against thinking too highly of yourself, against vanity and selfish ambition (Philippians 2:3). You refrain from flattering yourself and self-congratulation.

A faithful and faith-filled life does what the Master Jesus tells you to do. A person of faithfulness has the greatest desire to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” at the end of life (Matthew 25:21).

Today, pray for God to grow faith inside of you, but also pray that God’s faithfulness will increase inside of you in every area of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to be faithful to complete the work that Jesus has begun inside of you (Philippians 1:6).

The Fruit of the Spirit: Do Good to Everyone

by David Chadwick

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…then the sixth fruit of the Spirit is goodness. Galatians 6:10 says we are to “do good to everyone.”

God is good and his mercies endure forever (Psalm 100:5). There is nothing evil in him. He cannot coexist with evil because he is good and there can be no evil in him. Because God is good, his actions toward us are always good. Even in the midst of pain and confusion, his goodness reigns.

As followers of Jesus, we can remain confident that he will work all things together for our good according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). This reality and promise should leave us with immense peace.

Because of the love of Jesus, we are now able to display the goodness we have received from him to those around us. The bride of Christ should be the biggest display of goodness that the world has ever seen.

Goodness is another fruit that is outward in focus. When you are connected to the Spirit, goodness will flow through you and you will be a strong reflection of the Father’s goodness.

The church should be on a constant lookout for how to do good in this world. Why? So that we can reflect the goodness of God to others.

In Galatians 6:10, Paul shares how the Galatian Christians should be good toward one another. He says, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

I pray today for God’s goodness to increase in your life by the power of the Spirit. Then, ask him how you can show his goodness in your world. Maybe it’s through an encouraging word? Giving someone a gift? Writing someone a letter? Sending someone some money? Pray and ask him to show you a good act that will reflect God’s goodness in and through you to someone else.