Chaplain’s Corner

Habits 4 Life: A Gentle Spirit

My grandfather, Keith Robert James Newell, was a wheat farmer in the centre of the wheat belt, in Western Victoria, not far from Warracknabeal – a stone’s throw away from Horsham.

I did not have the pleasure of personally knowing my grandfather very well, as he passed away when I was only three years old. My main memory of him was from photos and a snippet of old movie film, where I was captured trying to climb on his back, as he crawled around the floor on all fours, like a horse. He didn’t seem bothered, instead rather enjoying the interaction. My mother called him ‘a gentle giant’.

What I do know of Grandpa, is that no one ever spoke a negative word of him. He was extremely well liked and respected in the area. He was described, even though he was quite a looming, large man, as loyal; gentle and kind; honest in his dealings and quite the successful farmer. 

Even though I never really knew my Grandpa, I feel as though I knew his heart and his spirit, through the way people spoke of him. I guess that is his legacy, the inheritance he left behind. Not cash or property but rather an inspiration to be a better man, a better person. To be gentle and kind, as he was.

I wonder, who are those in your life who are gentle in spirit? Their kindness, their generosity, their cool calmness in times of turmoil, their softly spoken words, when everyone else seems to be shouting, their sensibility and wisdom when everyone else seems to be confused… it’s inspiring right? Yet it is funny, in the world in which we live, we don’t seem to celebrate these characteristics so much anymore, do we?

Our Chapel theme this year is Habits 4 Life. My encouragement, my challenge to you this week, is to consider the habit of a gentle spirit. 

In the book of Ephesians Chapter 4, Paul is encouraging people to grow up. Not to be infants any longer, who are tossed back and forth by the waves, or blown here and there by every different type of teaching or argument. To grow in maturity. 

Paul begins with – 

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Are we challenged by Paul to be loud and obnoxious, pushing our way to the front? No. Rather, humble and gentle. This is opposite to what the world, what society would encourage, is it not? 

Paul was not alone in calling us to be gentle. Peter also wrote, 

But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 

1 Peter 3:4 

Here he is revealing that beauty is not what is on the outside. It is not judged on your appearance but the beauty that never fades, is that of a gentle spirit.

Jesus too, challenges us to be gentle, to be meek. As He delivered the Sermon on the Mount, He could have given a war rally, He could have ignited a flame of hatred towards the Romans, who were in oppressive power over His people. Instead, He delivered the cool, calm words that encouraged what? A gentle spirit. 

We read His words in Matthew 5,

Blessed are the poor in spirit (in other words, humble), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek (in other words, gentle), for they will inherit the earth.

And on He continued…

There it is, that word, meek, meaning gentle. Meekness doesn’t appear to have a high place in our society, does it? 

Meekness, is a gentleness or the state of not being provoked easily by an enemy or oppressor and it has virtually no place in a revenge-based world that we live in, that says, ‘You wrong me, I’m going to wrong you!’ True?

But meek people, people with a gentle spirit, 

They don’t envy. They don’t retaliate, and they exercise patience in the face of adversity. Says John Gill. 

Matthew Henry, says 

The meek show joy and happiness under dire circumstances. No matter what happens in the world around them, they latch on to God’s provision and plan for their lives.

The meek are optimistic!

Being gentle isn’t a doormat mentality and it certainly isn’t silence in the face of injustice. Instead, it doesn’t retaliate when wronged and doesn’t exude pride or narcissism.

It takes real strength to be gentle. It’s no sign of weakness. How might you grow stronger in your spirit of gentleness?

God bless,

Pastor Matt Daly

College Chaplain