The Power of Gentleness

Hans Fries, in his symbolic work “Mystery of the Cross”, presents to us visually the enigma that Christ’s seeming defeat, being hung to die on a cross by evil forces, was, in fact, the way to His destroying the power of death. At the bottom of this scene, He is releasing righteous believers from imprisonment. Jesus knew the purpose of His Passion and the resulting conquest and victory that was beyond His death on a cross. There is a time for every purpose under heaven. There is a time for military force, and a time for peace, Ecclesiastes 3:1,8. There is a time to war through arms and to war through gentleness. Gentleness is not weakness nor passivity, but the power of gentle, purposeful force. Jesus knew the purpose for which He had come, and He used gentleness to overcome evil and gain eternal victory through the cross. This was the strategic time that He would die as our substitute, the innocent for the guilty. 

True spiritual warfare is committing your life to restoring the beauty of God: In passionate love, pursuing those who don’t know Him and gently and persistently being the face and fragrance of Christ in all you do. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 NIV. 

God created each of us to do the good works He planned and prepared in advance for us, individually. God revealed to Ananias that Saul of Tarsus (Paul, the apostle), who persecuted believers, was “… a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.” Acts 9:15. Saul the persecutor became Paul the apostle of gentleness. And through that, he spread the gospel far and wide and lovingly planted and nurtured churches. 

Prayerfully finding where you are meant to be will help you to position yourself where God wants you, so you can do the specific works He’s planned for your life. Take the example of William Wilberforce, a slavery abolitionist and social transformer (1759-1833). A man who truly sought to bring the power of gentleness to society at large. Did you know that this great human rights activist almost missed his true calling? When William Wilberforce came to salvation, his first reaction was to throw away his career in politics for the ministry. Fortunately, John Newton, the evangelist who was converted from a life of evil as a slave trader, persuaded him to stay in politics: ‘It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of the nation.’ This wise influence caused Wilberforce to seek God’s will through much prayer and thought. He concluded that Newton was right. God was calling him to champion the liberty of the oppressed - as a Parliamentarian. ‘God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners (Society).’ He dedicated his life to God’s purposes for his life, pursuing both with vigour and dogged persistence in the face of overwhelming opposition and hostility with the full knowledge that his life was at risk. Having led a twenty-year fight to end the British slave trade, he finally succeeded. Three days before he died in 1833, he saw slavery abolished throughout the entire British Empire.

This great, lifelong work influenced the abolition of slavery in America and France, ultimately freeing over eleven million enslaved men, women and children. Wilberforce started or provided leadership in 69 charities, created the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Society for the Betterment of the Poor and was a founder of what’s now the Bible Society. He transformed the horrifying working conditions of the millions of adults and children, campaigned for the education of the deaf and blind and assistance to the underprivileged. He gave a quarter of his income to the poor, inspired friends and others to give of their time, talent and money to change the world around them and stirred Christians into serving God’s purposes. He authored “A Practical View of Christianity”, a best-selling classic. All this was achieved because he sought God to discover His purposes for his life and then did that with all his ability. The man built his life's work around the power of gentleness. 

How to use the Power of Gentleness. 

Copy Jesus. To effectively use the power of gentleness, study Jesus’ life and copy Him; He taught the Way, healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, provided for the hungry and needy, withstood wrongdoing, overcame evil with good and fulfilled His Mission. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” 1st Corinthians 11:1. Learn from genuine, mature Christ followers - the real thing. 

What? Where? When? How? “Your will be done!” This is our prayer. It’s a life-long process of asking, listening, doing and refining our lives to reveal the beauty of God and guide our lives in the power of gentleness. 

Praction. Prayer + Action = Praction. Our weapons in the arsenal of gentleness include PRAYER for change plus Spirit-led ACTION. Are you praying for souls? Add money for an evangelist to do their work, and add personal witnessing. 

Wisdom. “Overcome Evil with Good.” Romans 12:21. Seek God’s wisdom in all areas of your life, and He will reveal the godly method of execution. Jesus healed the sick, scourged the Temple, and, at the strategic time, without a word or resistance, went willingly to suffer and die to save us. 

Trust God. “Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit!” Zechariah 4:6. God is All-powerful. Trust Him. Vision and calling are not changed by circumstances. Wilberforce faced opposition all his life - he kept operating in the power of gentleness regardless. 

Anything God calls you to do, He has the power, ability and resources to take you to victory - in the power of gentleness. 

You, too, are a God-given gift to transform your world. God has called every believer to good works with Jesus as our role model in life. Ephesians 2:10. To effectively use the power of gentleness, we study the life of Jesus and copy Him; He proclaimed and taught the Way, healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, provided for the hungry and needy, withstood unrighteousness, overcame evil with good and fulfilled His Mission. Gentleness is powerful!

A Life of Purpose is the Purpose of Life. Part of my purpose is to help you find yours. I have co-authored a book called 'Gifts for Destiny and Life' The book is filled with things that will amaze and delight you. It will reveal more of you and empower your life through life-changing assessments. Discover: - how to find meaning and purpose in your life. - how to answer the big questions of life. - how you think and relate, and how that influences your decisions about life and ministry. - how your personality will influence how you approach life and ministry. - how to understand the gifts given by God to the church and how you fit into it. - how to take the empowerment of the Spirit to live a happy and fulfilling life. Click the button to explore further and subscribe for my free eBook entitled 'Destiny Living Toolkit.

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