Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness (Meekness, Humility)
Among the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:23 is gentleness. As a fruit, it is something to be cultivated and brought about in maturity, and it is what the God who planted us desires that we produce. The New Testament shows that the word describes temperament or character and a way of behaving towards others.
The word translated gentleness or meekness is the Greek praiotes¸ and the lexicon tells us it means: Mild, soft, gentle
- Of things, mild; of sounds, soft, gentle
- Of persons, mild, gentle, meek, especially after having been angry; of animals, gentle, tame
- Of actions, feelings, etc., mild
(Henry George Liddell. Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. Revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones with the assistance of Roderick McKenzie. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1940.)
It describes a manner, an attitude, a person’s character, a way of responding. Too often we are inclined to mistake “meek” for “weak!” Our Lord was certainly not weak! Gentleness or meekness describes a calm disposition, particularly under fire–which actually requires a great deal of strength.
