The Fruit of the Holy Spirit: Gentleness
Gentleness and Kindness (Galatians 5:22-23) Why Is Gentleness So Hard?
Sometimes we hurt the ones we love most—not because we want to, but because of unhealed wounds and buried emotions.
Childhood experiences of neglect, silencing, and isolation can make gentleness feel unnatural.
Trauma can teach someone to build walls and respond with anger or sarcasm instead of softness.
“Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.”
Rediscovering the Roots In Sean's case, the roots of his lack of gentleness can be traced:
From fairy tales that felt fake to night terrors and a childhood of feeling invisible—pain went unprocessed, and it affected how he treated others.
Being unable to express himself led to bursts of anger.
Fear of being ignored or unseen still triggers frustration.
Patterns he feared seeing in his children were actually patterns from his own life that hadn’t been healed.
How Do We Move Toward Gentleness?
Understand your weaknesses – They usually come from somewhere deeper.
Reflect rather than react – Gentleness requires slowing down and seeing others with God's heart.
Let Jesus carry your burden – He already paid the price for your pain. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Let love lead change – When those who depend on you (spouse, children, friends) need gentleness, let your love for them motivate your transformation.
Let God heal what hurts – Only in Christ can relationships and inner wounds be truly restored.
A Glimpse of Healing
Instead of reacting to Daniel’s scattered storytelling, he patiently helped him communicate.
During a night terror, he responded not with fear or anger—but with calm and care.
When he saw PD show his son kindness, it reminded him of Jesus’ gentleness toward him.
Reflection Questions:
What past experiences might be affecting your ability to be gentle today?
Who do you tend to be less gentle with—and why?
When have you seen Jesus’ gentleness toward you recently?
How can you practice slowing down and responding with empathy this week?
