An Avenue to Gentleness

The other day a phrase from a Scripture reading caught my ear, though I don’t remember the citation: “gentle are those who fear the Lord.” As I learned in Sr. Mary Irene’s scripture classes, fear of the Lord is translated as being in awe of the Lord. So what is it about being in awe of God that leads to gentleness?

When we are in awe of God, we have a heightened awareness that we ourselves are not God, which relieves us of a big burden. We don’t have to know everything or maintain a façade of perfection, which in itself gentles the soul. Being in awe of God makes us inclined to entrust our lives to God, which leads to a peaceful spirit.

Appreciating the power and scope of God’s works is humbling because we were formed to be a part of such magnificence, despite our limited understanding of God’s ways. Yet God treats us with gentleness and patience, inspiring us to be gentle and patient with ourselves and with others.

We live in the midst of a violent world, but we don’t have to let that spirit of anger, greed, and disregard for the sanctity of life infect us. Awe of God’s ways and God’s works offers us an avenue to gentleness, which is a gift both to us and to our restless, agitated world.