A Gentle and Quiet Spirit

Happy Friday!

I don't know about you, but for me Friday is a special day. I can revel in the ending of the week, I can flip flops to work, and I can pretend I don't have to work on Saturday. Today I just wanted to write on a particular passage in the Bible that has been on my heart since the first time I read it (about 16 or so years ago).

You see, I was brought up in a Christian home, my siblings, parents, and extended family have always been in one ministry or another so I was always exposed to the Gospel. However, making a personal choice to be a believer happened when I was 10 and a half years old. I was given a Good News Bible in Sunday school which has always been with me although it is much tattered by now. Reading it and learning about the life God called me to live happened largely during my high school years. I thank God for this because a lot of what I experienced after leaving high school - and Malawi later on - was taught to me in those four years; and has been a firm foundation.

One of the lessons I learnt and that has guided my heart since then was this passage in 1 Peter 3 vs 3;

'Instead, your beauty should consist of you true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is on the greatest value in God's sight.'

The ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, that is what God values. Not how many years you have been saved, not the works of your ministry, not what people say about you or how impressive you may sound. If your heart is full of anger, bitterness, the white noise of constant complaining and dissatisfaction, and the desire to fight no matter what the cause, you do not possess what is of value in God's sight. 

We, the believers of Jesus Christ, are called to a life where we manifest the spiritual gifts laid out in Galatians 5. In fact, there are a few places that talk about gentleness as a quality that should be present and active in the life of a person confessing to be a believer. 
  • Paul recognized his own need to choose a gentle attitude (1 Corinthians 4 vs 21)
  • One of the qualities of Jesus Christ was a spirit of meekness and gentleness (2 Corinthians 10 vs 9
  • One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is gentleness (Galatians 5 vs 23)
  • In order to live a life 'worthy of the calling to which you have been called' you require large doses of gentleness (Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3)
There are may more references through which you can understand the gift of gentleness. I will encourage you to go and discover them and discover the fact that God has called you to choose the way of meekness and gentleness just like his Son, Jesus Christ.

Now, if I am truly honest, I will admit that this directive has been so active in my life because I am not a naturally gentle person. Yes, you heard right. It is the constant work of grace that works (through this verse) to bring about the 'gentle and quiet' person you now see before you. This is what I have personally grown to understand about 1 Peter chapter 3 vs 3:

  1. A gentle and quite spirit is not made overnight. It grows over time and often through many rough seasons and times of great disquiet 
  2. It is a calling, not everyone responds to it - neither is it for everyone.
  3. Sometimes it fits in with our personality, sometimes it overrides it to the glory of the Father.
  4. Gentleness and a quiet spirit do not come in a one time download, you have to sign up to a lifetime of system upgrades that are often painful, costly and require deleting old useless files because each upgrade takes up significant space in your life. Trust me, this is good for you.
  5. These qualities reveal the true nature of Christ. 
  6. It requires great courage and fearlessness to chose gentleness over your own nature. It shows who you trust.
  7. It is evidence of a life fully surrendered to Christ
  8. It reveals you level of faith and maturity. 
  9. It is evidence of the battle of the heart, the mind, the spirit, the soul, the body. It also shows who's winning.
  10. It is a higher calling to live against the natural order of the world. A higher standard that many fail to live up to.
  11. It is a state of being that allows the voice of Heaven to be heard. A being that is quiet and filled with gentle trust is very receptive to the voice of God.
  12. It is a training program for those destined for Heaven. Imagine spending eternity with those Incredible Hulk-like believers, I'm sure you know quite a few...
  13. It enhances your flavour as a child of God. Remember, you are called to be the salt and light of the world, to add spice, colour, brightness, and a sweet smelling perfume to a dark and hopeless world.
  14. It creates a beautiful home in us where Christ can live.
  15. It shows our total submission to the Parent that we have been given on this planet (The Holy Spirit). No person can cultivate true gentleness and quietness without the Holy Spirit.
  16. It is a lifestyle.

You might not relate to all of these points, you might remember only a few. The point is, we all need to get a revelation of each of the fruits of the holy Spirit in a way that will allow it/them to be established in us. This is just one of them. This is a personal revelation of my own journey with this very short verse and how it has shaped me to be the 'chilled out' person I am today 😉.

I would love to hear about how you relate to this verse, especially if your understanding is different from mine. Go ahead and leave a comment below.

God Bless you, enjoy your weekend!
Julie

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