‘So when they had
eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of
Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes,
Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs” (John 21:15).
Gentleness (Greek- epiekeia and prautes)
involves not standing on one’s right, being conciliatory and showing
forbearance (NIV Compact dictionary of the Bible). It is a fruit of the spirit
(Gal 5:22) and it describes the character of God (2 Sam 22:36, Psalm 18:35).
Another word that is synonymous with gentleness is meekness; which means real
strength under control. Isaiah 40:10 describes God as coming to Israel with a
strong hand, but it is interesting to note that the next verse says that, ‘He
shall feed His flock like a shepherd… and shall gently lead those that are
young’. Contrary to the world’s perception, gentleness is no sign of weakness
but it is real strength under control. It is the master key to possessing the
earth.
Gentleness requires tenderness and carefulness
in correcting someone or something without being destructive. It takes into
account the strength of the one that is being corrected. It is a crucial virtue
in every relationship; whether it is in a marriage, a business or in the church
setting. Gentleness is one of the marks of divine wisdom (James 3:17,
18). In dealing with people, it takes the wisdom of God to know when
to be gentle as a dove and when to be bold as a lion. That balance is very
important in building relationships especially when one is in the role of
leadership. As a leader, Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church saying, ‘we are
gentle among you even as a nurse cherishes her children’ (1 Thess 2:7).
This lesson focuses on how Jesus used the
virtue of gentleness to handle a very precarious incident among his apostles.
After the death of Christ, Peter the Apostle decided to go fishing, contrary to
the commission that Christ gave him to be a fisher of men. To add insult to
injury, Peter took along with him Thomas, Nathanael, James, John and two other
disciples. After they had toiled all night without any catch, they saw a man
standing on the beach. He asked them, ‘children do you have any meat’? And they
answered Him no, without knowing that it was Jesus. He then directed them to
cast their net to the right side and their obedience resulted in a catch that
was so much that they couldn't draw the fish into the boat. It was at
that point that John told Peter that, ‘it is the Lord’. After they joined
Jesus at the other side He asked them to bring some of the fish they had caught
and He had breakfast together with them. Today may your obedience bring you
mind-boggling blessings that will cause you to know God better.
After they had eaten and were full, Jesus said
to Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these?’ Clearly, Peter
had failed Jesus, by neglecting his calling and influencing others to do
likewise. But the gentleness with which Jesus handled the situation offers a
great lesson. He could have rebuked them straight away when He saw them, but He
helped them find fish and went on to dine with them before rebuking Peter by
asking him questions. By the time Jesus was done with them, Peter and the rest
were back to their senses and on course to fulfill their
calling. Jesus handled the disciples who were certainly wrong, with
great love and care. Love is the root of gentleness. David loved his son
Absalom so much that even when Absalom was seeking to take David’s life, he
instructed Joab, Abishai and Ittai, ‘deal gently for my sake with the young man
Absalom’ (2 Sam 18:5).
In as much as a leader has to be firm and decisive,
gentleness is crucial in making an impact. Today be gentle in your dealings
with others, ‘speak evil of no one, be peaceable and gentle, showing all
humility to all men’ (Titus 3:2)..
No comments:
Post a Comment