The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 50
Is gentleness, which results in humility, discerning? How do we know we’re humble? It would seem the moment we think we are, we’re not. So what exactly is humility, and how can we be sure to have true gentleness without losing it, or mistaking it for fake emotions?
First, we must escape our oppressor, by means of a Saviour. “Come to Me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I shall give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your beings. For My yoke is gentle and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). So let us break the yoke of Egypt, of Babble, of the slavery to sin, that has compressed our spine and made us lowly, and take the yoke of His Word so that we may stand upright.
To be meek enough that you do not even realize your own meekness is to know that it is not your humility anyway, but the Messiah’s. So let us forfeit our own gentleness so that we may fully accept His; for ours comes and goes in emotions and learned behaviour. Humility means to have a humble disposition, coated in the gentleness of spirit. This is not to be mistaken with weakness. Meekness is not weakness. In fact, to have meekness we will need great strength, and great strength only comes from perseverance in His Spirit. So let us allow the Warrior Yahoweh to fill up our heart and whole being. “He who is patient is better than the mighty, and he who rules over his spirit than he who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32).
“So then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of Elohim. Therefore put away all filthiness and overflow of evil, and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your lives. And become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:19-22). The meek are beautified with salvation. Remember the meekness and humility when we first gave our lives to Yahoweh? Who said anything should change? What does change it?
Two of the most humble men in Scripture, Job and Moses, lived in an orchard of the fruit of the Spirit. They could have changed that. Job could have cursed Heaven (as many still do to this very day, saying he had right to). Moses could have said he’d had enough with the Israelite and Yahoweh would have made a nation out of him. Humility. Gentleness. The ones who have this in Scripture are the ones who keep Scripture. The ones that lose this fruit are the ones who try to change Scripture by being hearers only … but not doers. It is like giving a plant good soil, but no light or water.
“The Spirit of the Master Yahoweh is upon Me, because Yahoweh has anointed Me to bring good news to the meek. He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,” (Isaiah 61:1). Without meekness, the Word cannot come to us. Many rely on knowing about the Bible, rather than having faith in the Scriptures enough for works, and so drift away from the humble joy of salvation because of pride. Are we gentle enough to rest on Sabbath, and humble enough to pray for those who persecute us for it? Yes, we make a step by our effort, just like grabbing onto a life preserver, but it is up to the Spirit of Yahoweh to pull you up once you do. You cannot climb it, but nor can He force you to grab hold.
Knowledge can puff us up—cause us to become arrogant—if not coated in understanding from Whom this Wisdom comes. Arrogance in oneself is the destroyer of His gift. The Messiah doesn’t give great gifts to scribes filled with pride from their toil, but to those who are meek. “And when Shim‘on Kepha saw it, he fell down at the knees of Yahoshuah, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a man, a sinner, O Master!’” (Luke 5:8). It was Peter who was given the keys, not the learned scribes. What truths might we be lacking because of our lack of meekness? What joy hath befallen along the wayside?
“And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of gloom, and out of darkness. And the meek ones shall increase their joy in Yahoweh, and the poor among men rejoice in the Set-apart One of Yisra’el. For the ruthless one is brought to naught, the scorner is consumed, and all who watch for evil shall be cut off,” (Isaiah 29:18-20). When people are asked to point to themselves, most will point to their heart, very few their mind. The mind only thinks it is more powerful, but the heart is what runs the show. Regardless, we must ask meekly for Yahoweh to search our heart … to heal us.
“And the Sovereign shall answer and say to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, in so far as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.’” (Matthew 25:40). The least? Who is the least? Let me tell you, I am no better, and no worse, than you. There is not even a fraction of a percentage difference. The idea of the least among you, is purely your own view. For some people, the least are Mexicans. For others the least are teenagers. For some it is the elderly, for others the hungry, and for many it is those who are poor and ugly. How we treat them … we treat Him.
How gentle are we, with the least? Is it gentleness to see a wound, and not heal it? Gentleness? I watched a person once grab my dog by the ears, hurting her, just to put salve on her wound. … I was not silent. And he was not gentle.
Without gentleness, kindness cannot exist. Humility comes to naught.
Gentleness is a form of humility, which is a form of kindness. Linked. No one can show gentleness arrogantly. Thus the other fruit of the Spirit hang on this one. If we really want this fruit to be seen, then we need to look to our Messiah. He is the Creator! He is the Master! Yet, He … washed my feet. He poured out His blood for me. He bore the hatred of many, so that I would not be destroyed for my many sins. … He washed my feet. Truly, the Author knows humility. Let us look to Him for a fine example, as we are by no means greater than He.
In Matthew 21:5 the Messiah was bold, but not in the way many expect. Here He is, the King of all kings … sitting on a donkey. What of us, on our high horse, looking down on those of perceived lesser faith? … What of us? How many of us envision ourselves on a stallion, rather than an ass, or a flower covered hill, rather than a cross? How many of us would cry out for our very self, rather than our killers? The tempering of the Holy Spirit will take long and will produce fine gold for those willing to stand in His Refining Fire. We must ask: Are we in this fire?
There are many who act gentle, but are truly cruel to both man and beast. There are those who seem humble, but for them the act breeds pride in their heart. They are like a banana that has been eaten, but the peel was left on the counter in such a way to seem like there is still a banana in there. They, in other words, are false. But only Yahoweh truly knows the heart, so let us be gentle in any judgment, weighing our self with the weight before weighing them. Do not tip the scales, and if ye do, then tip them in their favor.
Humility takes time in diligent seeking. One cannot say, “Well, I’m humble now.” So what can we do? There’s one thing we can do. The one thing that never sounds easy, but is worth all effort: Follow Yahoshuah. “Brothers, if a man is overtaken in some trespass, you the spiritual ones, set such a one straight in a spirit of meekness, looking at yourself lest you be tried too. Bear one another’s burdens, and so complete the Torah of Messiah.” (Galatians 6:1-2). Indeed, it isn’t until we have been wronged that meekness of heart is made manifest. (When people attack, sometimes it is needed to defend another, or our self, but more often meekness is the best defense.)
So how do you understand Torah? If you read Torah with the mindset of: “This was for the Jews.” or: “This is old.” or: “This is just a story.” or: “That is done away with.” then you haven’t the humility to understand Torah. One must realize that He is above us and so we must approach His Words with a low and contrite heart. For with such fruit we are able to hear the Word from an everlasting to an everlasting spirit, without preconceived ideas, without blindly accepting doctrines of men and women who read the Scriptures as if they were their allowance for sin, and without producing thorns. And while there is no lawlessness in the fruit of the Spirit, the spirit leaders will tell you differently. They will say to flee from the Law, and, by doing so, have told you to flee from the fruit of the Spirit. Be leery of them, as sheep are of wolves.
Yahoshuah is gentle, kind, humble, meek, and has overturned tables. If He is in your heart, you will do the things He does, even if it takes a spiritual war to do so … and it will. In time, in seasons, you will see the fruit of the Spirit grow, and those first many years, as the Torah teaches us, are offerings unto Yahoweh, and indeed are not once thereafter presented to anyone without giving all glory unto Yahoweh.
Gentleness is an act of character, defined and refined by the spirit, and is found within everything we do, from how we treat other people’s belongings, to our treatment of animals. In order for something to be true, it cannot be a sometimes thing, as it has to be an all the time thing. A man, after all, cannot truly be courageous, if he only is once in a while. A woman cannot truly be tender if only on certain occasions. If we would treat with gentleness even the simplest of things, and the lowest of animals, we may also do so with our fellow humans. For those who rationalize cruelty to animals or others, gentleness is simply not a promised harvest, but for the One Who freed the doves and beasts, turned tables, and stood with courage, tenderness, and gentleness—He has promised, and for those would but take His gentle yoke and light burden, the harvest shall be fulfilled.
In praise, let us offer ourselves as living sacrifices. Let us subject ourselves entirely to Him so we may bear the fruit of His Spirit. Giving up the perceived desire to be lawless—let us bear fruit!
“‘And I shall rebuke the devourer for you, so that it does not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor does the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,’ said Yahoweh of Hosts. ‘And all nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a land of delight,’ said Yahoweh of Hosts.” (Malachi 3:11-12).
Be Blessed and be a Blessing
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
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Additional Scripture References:
Leviticus 26:13, Deuteronomy 28:47-48, Zephaniah 2:3, Philippians 4:4-5, Colossians 3:12, 1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:24-26, Titus 3:2