Message Recap
Pastor Dave Dummit continued our series Overflow: The 9 Traits of a Spirit-Filled Life with the trait of gentleness. Comparing it to the fruit we tend to glance over in the grocery store, gentleness isn't exactly a fruit of the Spirit we are all eager to embrace. And yet, throughout the New Testament, we see that gentle is often used to describe a person full of the Holy Spirit. This gentleness is "strength under control." Pastor Dave said, "Gentleness is your strength under the control of God."
Pastor Dave used four images to help remind us to live into gentleness.
1. The Stop Sign
The Stop sign reminds us to stop when we get angry. As Christians, we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us to help us manage anger—the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness—power under control.
2. The Smoke Detector
Much like a smoke detector is not the problem but rather alerts us to one, anger is an alarm. When we feel angry, we have to stop and ask ourselves, what is the real problem here?
3. Shoes
After you have stopped and considered what the underlying issue may be, it's time to put yourself in the other person's shoes and consider what might be going on with them.
4. A Bag of Money
We must realize the cost of uncontrolled anger. Proverbs 29:22 says, "An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins." The best way to help break this pattern in our lives is to find someone we can walk alongside who has already walked through this.
5. The Cross
Ultimately the best solution to any anger problems and the underlying issues is the cross. Spending time with God and reflecting on what the cross has accomplished for us will bring breakthroughs. Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
