Gentleness

Gentleness: Empowering others by renouncing personal agendas and expressing meekness.

Is there a place for the quality of gentleness in the ?world of the modern business – ?a world often described as competitive, cut-throat and hard-nosed and where the agenda of the strong and powerful dominates?

After a round of golf this week, I was chatting with a former student who had moved from the world of education to real estate sales. ?”It’s a tough business, ” he explained, “There are a lot of deceitful people out there.” ?While as far as I know my golfing companion is not a Christian, I could sense his struggle to remain true to his principles in the face of a culture where it is very much the ‘survival of the fittest’.

So, is it possible for a Christian to survive let alone thrive in such an environment? ?Stevens and Ung suggest that, “…it is in the shark-infested waters of the business world that the godly qualities of gentleness are most needed.”

The Greek word for gentleness speaks of the bridled horse – a horse that has learnt to accept discipline and respond to the bidding of its master. ?Moses, described as ‘more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth’ (Numbers 12:3) was such a person. ?At Christmas, we sing of Jesus as ‘meek and mild’ (Matt 11:29). ?Paul writing to the Philippians urged his readers to let their gentleness be evident to all (4:5). ?

[Read more…] about Taking Your Soul to Work ? Gentleness: The strength of meekness (Chapter 14)