Three Angels Broadcasting Network Devotional. In Praise of Gentleness. By Bobby Davis July 6th, 2026 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1–3 Life is full of paradoxes—you know, those seemingly absurd, self-contradictory statements that when investigated, prove to be true? As Christians, we’re all familiar with them, like the idea of dying to self so we can live, and the more we give the more we receive. But what about gentleness as strength? Most people don’t associate being gentle with being strong, but is there anything stronger than gentleness? The Bible is full of references to the gentleness of Jesus—and there can be no doubt that He was—and is—the strongest Man that ever walked this earth. He suffered injustice, ridicule, hatred, and cruelty, but even as the soldiers nailed Him to the cross, His gentle prayer was, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34. In today’s society, gentleness is generally mistaken for weakness. Sadly, some are even ashamed of it. Quite often, their gentleness has come from being treated harshly, from being made to feel like they were worthless, or from being treated as outcasts. Many see their gentleness as coming from something bad, so they are ashamed of it. But what they fail to see is that their gentleness is now the strength they draw on to keep from going through life as a victim. It’s easy to see that people who are harsh and violent invariably come from a place of weakness. Their own weakness causes them to impose their will on others by mistreating, criticizing, and demeaning them to get their way. When we are gentle, we’re not trying to gain power over anyone—and only then do we have a chance at becoming happy, helpful, and giving. Gentleness is beautiful. And no one exemplifies this better than our Lord, Jesus Christ. Under the August 14 entry in her devotional book, God’s Amazing Grace, Ellen White wrote, “We cannot tell how far-reaching may be our tender words of kindness, our Christlike efforts to lighten some burden. The erring can be restored in no other way than in the spirit of meekness, gentleness, and tender love.” Far from being a weakness, gentleness is truly a blessing to be desired. It accompanies patience, forgiveness, and a limitless supply of love that treats each person we meet with kindness. But only a close walk with God can bring gentleness to every moment of our lives. As Galatians 5:22 and 23 says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”