Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness

The spiritual fruit of gentleness is often misunderstood to speak of a kind of spineless, cowering, wimpish behavior which calls upon the believer to be trampled upon like a doormat. However, gentleness, in its long history of use in the Greek language is associated with strength; indeed, Plato considered gentleness to be a virtue of the ideal warrior. Instead of calling upon the believer to manifest contemptible weakness, this virtue calls for firm composure in all situations. This virtue finds its ultimate expression in Jesus Christ who testifies that he is "gentle" (Matt. 11:29) and forms an essential element of Christian living.