Gentleness

What is Gentleness?

Gentleness is power under control. It is humility and restraint that derives from a position of true strength in Christ.

1. Read Matthew 11:28-29. What do these verses tell you about God’s gentleness?
2. Think about and talk about an instance when the Lord displayed his gentleness towards you.
3. What is one way that you could display the Lord’s gentleness to others, as Philippians 4:5 states?

Best Use

A date night to discuss the fruit of gentleness and talk about ways to move towards more gentleness in the home

Advance Prep

A Bible, a pillow, and a rock

Step One

Read Proverbs 15:1. Talk about the difference between delivering a message that is gentle compared to one that is harsh.

Step Two

Look at the pillow and the rock. Consider together what both are used for, what they are made of, and what it would be like to be hit across the head with both. (NOTE: A pillow fight  might be fun at this point, but please don’t hit each other with the rock!)

Step Three

Each spouse share ways that you feel your own words/actions can sometimes come across more like a rock than a pillow. Be sure to take this time to focus on yourself and not your spouse.

Step Four

Read Matthew 11:29 where Jesus described himself as gentle. He was anything but weak. It takes great strength to portray a gentle spirit during moments of anger, stress or fear. Now, each spouse come up with a couple of ways that your own words/actions can come across more like a pillow in the future.

Step Five

Pray together asking God to mold and shape you into a person who is gentle and to help you control any potentially harsh reactions at home.

Best Use

A family time activity to discover and talk about God’s gentleness with us and how we can be gentle with others

Advance Prep

Spoons, eggs (raw or hard-boiled), and a Bible

Step One

What is gentleness? Gentleness is often confused with being weak. Read Matthew 11:29. Christ said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” God has all the power in the universe, yet He is gentle with us, and He wants us to learn to be like Him.

Step Two

Let’s put gentleness to the test and have an egg race! You can use real eggs (you might want to go outside or someplace that can get messy) or you can use hardboiled eggs.  Before you race, discuss what would happen if you are too rough and not gentle with the egg? Now, let the races begin.

Step Three

Did any of the eggs fall? What happened when the eggs fell? When we are not gentle with our words or our actions it can cause damage too.

Step Four

Philippians 4:5 tells us to “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” Just as God is gentle with us, He wants us to be gentle in our words and actions with others.

Step Five

Talk through the following questions:

• Was I gentle in the situations I faced today? Did I use gentle words/actions?
• Do I show the same gentleness to others that God shows to me? How?

Pray

Ask God to help each member of your family as you connect to Him and learn about His gentleness, to grow in gentleness in your words and actions.

Best Use

A mealtime activity with older children/teens to consider how the Bible describes gentleness and how this fruit of the Spirit results from God’s own gentleness

Advance Prep

A device with Internet connection

Step One

Discuss what comes to mind when you hear the word gentleness. Gentleness is often misunderstood. It is a characteristic that is best understood by seeing how the Bible gives it meaning.

Step Two

Have your teen navigate to a Bible passage search tool such as openbible.info/topics to find what the Bible says about “gentleness.”

Step Three

Take turns reading some of the verses given in order to answer the following questions:

• How often do the verses talk about how we relate to others?
• How does God relate to us?
• What other characteristics do you see alongside gentleness?

Step Four

Gentleness involves how we relate or respond to others. Read Psalm 18:35 and James 3:17 to discover that we are able to show gentleness to others out of the overflow of God’s gentleness toward us in Christ.

Step Five

Discuss how each of you has responded in gentleness toward others in the last few weeks. Be ready to share a personal example of how you could have been more gentle toward someone. Determine together to continue pursuing gentleness with others.

Optional

Check back in with each other throughout the week and report the ways that God has given you the grace and strength to be gentle in those opportunities.