Gentleness In Action

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted” (Galatians 6:1, underline added for emphasis).

What image comes to your mind when you hear the word “gentleness”? I think most men (and probably most women too ) envision someone that is extremely kind, does not cause any trouble, and always has a smile on their face. However, we can show gentleness and also be actively engaged in the lives of others. In fact, we can be gentle while helping a fellow brother or sister in Christ become aware and repent of the sin in their life. Some might try to argue that what somebody else does in their life is their business. But how are we to follow the instructions of 1 Thessalonians 5:11 to “build each other up” if we do not help to tear down those things that are separating us from God?

I think it is important to stop here and acknowledge that all Christians can and do sin. While we are all growing in Christian perfection, the only one to achieve it on earth was Jesus. We all know that a Christian is called to trust in God. However, the calling goes deeper and requires us to stop living for the sins of our human nature (flesh) desires (Galatians 5:24). We are no less of a Christian if we fall into sin and fail to immediately follow the direction of the Spirit away from sin. Paul is telling us that we need help, and God will provide this help in the form of other Christians.

Paul is expanding upon Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron so does one man sharpen another.” He is teaching others, particularly spiritually mature Christians, to step in and help reconcile us to God. It is imperative that those performing this task are clearly walking with the Spirit. We can tell if they are in the Spirit because then the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) will be evident in the them. In this case, the fruit of gentleness is important. To avoid being tempted by the same sin, they must possess humility. Paul teaches about the importance of humility in Colossians 3:12. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (underline added for emphasis)”

The bottom line is a Spiritually mature person must help restore sinners in order for the body of Christ to continue to grow and function. To restore something is to make it whole and functional again. When it comes to sin, it must involve repentance and a return to a Spirit-led life. We all have sinned and made poor choices, but just like the prodigal son (Luke 15), the Father is always waiting to welcome us back!

Prayer: Dear God, We confess our sins of omission and commission in helping to restore others. Please reconcile us to You and be with us as we work with You to reconcile others to You. Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

We welcome your comments below.

Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.

Liked this post?

Read more below or search for more topics…

Who Do You Trust?

Who Do You Trust?
“‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT).Many years ago, I was an undergraduate student. I took a few Philosophy courses to fulfill the degree requirements in liberal arts. I loved the classes because they forced me to attempt a deeper level of understanding. One class was on Logic and Reasoning and we (students) were given an…
Read More
Revival Starts With Your Heart

Revival Starts With Your Heart
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).
I once heard a pastor on the radio say that a great Christian revival will begin when everyone that attends church follows God’s word and tithes 10 percent to their church. I thought to myself – yes, that would be a tremendous thing and the church universal could do great things with…
Read More
The Purpose and Daily Use of Prayer

Purpose And Proper Daily Use Of Prayer
Perhaps one of the most intimate means available for us to communicate with God is through prayer. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 55 percent of all Americans report that they pray each day. The same study also states that, at a rate of 14 percent, more American women pray daily compared to men. According to Todd Shupe however, a 55 percent would be a failing exam grade for us overall. That’s an F, folks.
“I think many of us have a false perception of God. We see God as Santa Claus and approach…
Read More