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Gentleness, March 7
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22, 23
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If we have Christ abiding with us, we shall be Christians at home as
well as abroad. He who is a Christian will have kind words for his relatives
and associates. He will be kind, courteous, loving, sympathetic, and will be
educating himself for an abode with the family above. If he is a member of
the royal family, he will represent the kingdom to which he is going. He will
speak with gentleness to his children, for he will realize that they, too, are
heirs of God, members of the heavenly court. Among the children of God
no spirit of harshness dwells; for “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against
such there is no law.” The spirit that is cherished in the home is the spirit that
will be manifested in the church.
Oh, we must educate the soul to be pitiful, gentle, tender, full of for-
giveness and compassion. While we lay aside all vanity, all foolish talking,
jesting, and joking, we are not to become cold, unsympathetic, and unsocial.
The Spirit of the Lord is to rest upon you until you shall be like a fragrant
flower from the garden of God. You are to keep talking of the light, of Jesus,
the Sun of righteousness, until you shall change from glory to glory, from
character to character, going on from strength to strength, and reflecting more
and more of the precious image of Jesus. When you do this, the Lord will
write in the books of heaven, “Well done,” because you represent Jesus.
Christians should not be hard-hearted, unapproachable; Jesus is to be
reflected in our deportment, and we are to have a character beautiful with the
graces of heaven. The presence of God is to be an abiding presence with us;
and wherever we are, we are to carry light to the world. Those around you are
to realize that the atmosphere of heaven surrounds you.—
The Review and
Herald, September 20, 1892
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