Fruit at Camp #8: Gentleness

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness…
-Galatians 5:22-23

It’s all Greek to me…

For all of us who love tackling each other in football and lifting heavy objects (don’t ask me how many fridges I moved at camp last year), this one may be hard to fathom. Jesus wants us to be gentle?

The Greek word for gentleness is Prautus, and it often refers to our disposition, our Spirit, and our attitude. When Paul called the Galatians to develop the fruit of gentleness, he was telling them not to go around shouting Jesus in people’s faces. Instead, they should possess a gentleness of Spirit that draws others to Christ.

Notice that Jesus never yelled (except when displaying righteous anger). He taught people by talking, not shouting. We’re called to act with gentleness when speaking about Christ; in our words, actions, and Spirit.

Prautus also means meekness. Now hold on – God isn’t telling us to be afraid or cowardly. Meekness is often called the opposite of pride. And if you’ve read almost any book of the Bible, you’ll see the dangers of pride (Proverbs 11:2, 16:18, 18:12, 21:4, Psalm 10:4, Isaiah 2:11, Obadiah 1:3). God isn’t saying Act like the Cowardly Lion. He’s saying: Don’t become prideful!

Proverbs 3:34 (NLT) tells us that, “The Lord mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble.”

God wants us to be gentle and meek in Spirit so we don’t fall victim to pride. Pride is one of the most deadly sins, and we must regularly check our lives for it. I have to do this regularly.

So don’t view gentleness as cowardice. Gentleness is acting with Jesus’ tender-hearted love towards others, and staying as far from pride as possible.

Here’s how I’ve seen gentleness play out in recent weeks…

Prautus at Camp.

Instead of jumping into the theology of gentleness, I’ll share two camp examples. Each relate to a different aspect of gentleness.

1. Gentle in Action.

“And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.”
-1 Peter 3:15b-16a

As mentioned in some prior posts, we have a massive inflatable obstacle course on the river. Out of all the inflatables (which include a slide, giant swing, balance beam, etc.), the most popular one is… *drumroll* …the flat octagonal platform.

But this is no mere inflated white-and-blue platform. This is THE OCTAGON – the most iconic wrestling pad for miles around. During swim skill, you’ll regularly find over a dozen guys wrestling on the pad – leaders included.

During High School Camp, it’s a free-for-all, which often dissolves into “Bigs vs Smalls”. Then Middle School and Day Camps roll around, and we tell the leaders to be gentle when they’re wrestling. We don’t want leaders throwing kids half their size into the water, because injuries can happen.

I believe this relates to two components of showing gentleness with our actions:

• Unless it’s for a legitimate cause (i.e., ending the Holocaust), real violence is usually not the answer. Christians are not called to win people to Christ by violence, force, or by stooping to the world’s level.
• Acting with gentleness means knowing one’s audience. When wrestling with High Schoolers, the leaders were free to chuck kids off as much as they wanted. Elementary School students are another matter. When spreading Christ’s message and acting as He would, realize that everyone is at a different level. Don’t hit a “Grade 1” kid with a “Grade 10” Jesus story or message.

2. Gentle in Speech.

 “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.”
-Proverbs 15:1

This morning I was helping with tech at chapel. As we’re trying to practice a skit, the door behind us cracks open, and a tiny face peeks through. The second I look their way, the face disappears, only to reappear seconds later at the other door. We proceeded to play door roulette for the next five minutes. I at last got up and went to the door. My human nature was tempted to reprimand the kids. Couldn’t they see that we were trying to practice and that doors banging open and closed was disruptive?

Instead, I spoke gently to them, asking if they could please wait until chapel started. Thankfully, they listened. Proverbs tells us that a gentle answer deflects anger (naturally, this is a principle, not a promise). Just like with our actions, our words must reflect the gentleness of Christ. Words have great power, but they must be wielded correctly. Our speech is a tool for building God’s Kingdom.

Especially in the 80s, some preachers would frighten people into believing in Christ with warnings about eternal judgment and hell. This is not what I mean. Scaring people into doing anything is not acting in gentleness. Jesus drew people to Him because of His faith and hope, not out of fear. Let’s do the same.

Prautus in real life.

Up until now, the Fruits I’ve covered have been virtues. The beautiful part about gentleness is that it’s also a response. We can practice gentleness in our everyday actions and speech. But before we can act with gentleness, we must complete an incredibly complex one-step plan…

Ask God for a spirit of gentleness.

Once you’ve done that, you’re good to go! I’m not saying you’ll be perfect (please tell me if you are), but this is the foundation we all need. I find the best policy for acting with gentleness is to pause (and pray) before doing anything rash. Gentleness gets tossed aside when we let emotions take control. Here’s how we can implement two forms of gentleness…

I can practice gentleness in action at camp by treating everyone with respect, and knowing my audience whilst yeeting kids off the octagon. You can demonstrate gentleness in action by treating your siblings/parents/kids/friends with love and respect, even if they’re getting on your nerves.

I can practice gentleness in speech by refusing to raise my voice or speak angrily with campers/volunteers who irk me. You can practice gentleness in speech by doing the same with those in your life.

Gentleness matters, even if it may come after things like love and patience. As Jesus said in Matthew 11:29 (NLT)…

“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”