In continuation of our reflection on the fruit of the Spirit, we will be considering the following dimensions of the Holy Spirit’s character: gentleness and goodness. Gentleness is a nature that maintains the appropriate comportment in the face of provocative events. Only the Holy Spirit can help a mortal being behave correctly or appropriately in the face of an event that seems to threaten his or her peace, or which stands in his or her way to actualizing a desired goal. In Luke 22:47-53, we see the Lord Jesus Christ manifesting this character in the Garden of Gethsemane, in spite of Judas’ betrayal, the sorrow of bearing the burden of sin and the degrading treatment meted out to Him, He still healed the ear of Malchus, servant of the high priest, which Peter had chopped off in His defence. The gravity of the character exhibited here by the Lord becomes more sobering when we realise that He could have asked for more than twelve legions of angels to fight for Him and they would have been granted Him, but He chose not to do this in order to achieve His goal of finishing the work of salvation for mankind (Matthew 26:53-54). Beloved, we need to manifest the nature of gentleness if we will not take laws into our hands. Romans 12:19 says:
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
The Lord will always fight our battles for us, if only we allow Him do it in His own way.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”
Matthew 5:44
How can a man obey these words? How can a person do good to those who hate him or her? The Lord Himself showed us the possibility of obeying this difficult injunction by doing good to those who out of hatred came to arrest and crucify Him. How was He able to do it? Acts 10:38 answers this question; it reveals that the Lord Jesus Christ went about doing good because He had a relationship with the Holy Spirit, and only by cultivating a relationship with Him can we manifest this character. If we don’t do good to others, our faith is useless and without meaning (James 2:14-26). I encourage you therefore to be a doer of good deeds, because by this your soul-winning efforts will be effective.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.