Gentle and quiet spirit

[Tinkerbell725]

How do you define a gentle and quiet spirit?

It is the unfading beauty that is of great worth to God.

1 Peter 3:1*-‬6 ESV

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

http://bible.com/59/1pe.3.1-6.ESV

 

[Desertsrose]

Hi Tinkerbell,


I looked up the Greek definitions.


Gentle
This difficult-to-translate root (pra-) means more than "meek." Biblical meekness is not weakness but rather refers to exercising God's strength under His control – i.e. demonstrating power without undue harshness.


[The English term "meek" often lacks this blend – i.e. of gentleness (reserve) and strength.]


Quiet
hēsýxios (an adjective derived from hēsyxos, "quiet, stillness") – properly, quiet (still), i.e. steady (settled) due to a divinely-inspired inner calmness.
("calmly quiet") describes being "appropriately tranquil" by not misusing (or overusing) words that would stir up needless friction (destructive commotion).


Yes, this is unfading beauty. It's the fruit of the Spirit on display which is the character of the Lord. When He suffered and was persecuted He didn't revile back at them, but He entrusted Himself to His Father.


We may not like the way we're treated or talked to by our husband's ungodly behavior, but with the Holy Spirit's help, we live the new creation within as we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. We continually die to our old nature and live to our new nature. Our desire is to allow our husbands to see Christ in us in hopes that they will desire the same kind of life we have so that they will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

 

[Tinkerbell725]

Hi Tinkerbell,


I looked up the Greek definitions.


Gentle
This difficult-to-translate root (pra-) means more than "meek." Biblical meekness is not weakness but rather refers to exercising God's strength under His control – i.e. demonstrating power without undue harshness.


[The English term "meek" often lacks this blend – i.e. of gentleness (reserve) and strength.]


Quiet
hēsýxios (an adjective derived from hēsyxos, "quiet, stillness") – properly, quiet (still), i.e. steady (settled) due to a divinely-inspired inner calmness.
("calmly quiet") describes being "appropriately tranquil" by not misusing (or overusing) words that would stir up needless friction (destructive commotion).


Yes, this is unfading beauty. It's the fruit of the Spirit on display which is the character of the Lord. When He suffered and was persecuted He didn't revile back at them, but He entrusted Himself to His Father.


We may not like the way we're treated or talked to by our husband's ungodly behavior, but with the Holy Spirit's help, we live the new creation within as we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. We continually die to our old nature and live to our new nature. Our desire is to allow our husbands to see Christ in us in hopes that they will desire the same kind of life we have so that they will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Thank you desertsrose. Greek meanings explain the word clearly and deeply.

Gentle or praus in greek means power under control or power that is submitted or surrendered. It is more to a condition of mind and heart than just actions.

Quiet or hesuchios means tranquility arising from within. It comes from a deep trust in God's love, protection and promises.

 

[Desertsrose]

​Right you are. It's not an act.

It's the changed life within the believer as they live a submitted life to Christ and the working power of the Holy Spirit changing the believer into the likeness of our Lord.

We've been studying 1 Peter and we all decided that this behavior is for all believing women and not just the woman with a husband who's not living in obedience to the Lord.

So that same changed person will react with gentleness and quietness as they live out their walk in front of everyone. It's the fruit in the believer produced as they grow more and more like the Lord.

It makes me wonder if the women in Peter's day thought that if they looked prettier on the outside maybe that would draw their husbands to the Lord.

 

[88]

How do you define a gentle and quiet spirit?

It is the unfading beauty that is of great worth to God.

1 Peter 3:1*-‬6 ESV

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

http://bible.com/59/1pe.3.1-6.ESV

***a gentle and quiet spirit is the power of Wisdom and the Holy Spirit working in and through a woman...

 

[oldethennew]

such a good Post, ty Tinker,

and we must learn how to use this precious gift of power from our Father,
in all ways, whether in meekness or authority - the classic example is
Deborah, there were no fit men to lead, so God put her in charge
for His season...it is also KEY that God's men learn to lead
with a gently authority, this always commands much more
respect.
the Bible explains the 'order' very plainly and learning how to
step-out of our old comfort zones and obey when the Holy Spirit leads
will always, at some point produce good FRUIT, although the fields may
sometimes be rocky...

many years ago my husband's mother HAD to take 'authority', at one time over the
household finances, else they would have lost everything...

 

[Tinkerbell725]

such a good Post, ty Tinker,

and we must learn how to use this precious gift of power from our Father,
in all ways, whether in meekness or authority - the classic example is
Deborah, there were no fit men to lead, so God put her in charge
for His season...it is also KEY that God's men learn to lead
with a gently authority, this always commands much more
respect.
the Bible explains the 'order' very plainly and learning how to
step-out of our old comfort zones and obey when the Holy Spirit leads
will always, at some point produce good FRUIT, although the fields may
sometimes be rocky...

many years ago my husband's mother HAD to take 'authority', at one time over the
household finances, else they would have lost everything...

Another example is Esther. She was a gracious and spiritural woman who won over her husband who was a pagan king. Her respect and graciousness brought them closer.

 

[proverbs35]

How do you define a gentle and quiet spirit?

A gentle and quiet spirit is a characteristic associated with a Christian lifestyle. In other words, the admonishment to be quiet and gentle is for BOTH women and men. I brought that up because having a quiet and gentle spirit is often promoted like it's a feminine quality or duty, but it's really just part of the Christian lifestyle.

How do we know that gentleness and quietness are part of the Christian lifestyle?

In that same chapter of 1 Pe 3 after Paul instructs wives to have a quiet and gentle spirit, he instructs all Christians to be gentle to others. 1 Pe 3:15.

Eph 4:2, Phil 4:5 and Tit 3:2 tell us (men and women) to be gentle to others.

Col 3:12 tells Christians to clothe themselves with gentleness.

Gal 6:1 tells Christians to gently restore those caught in sin.

Paul practiced gentleness.
2 Cor 10:1
Jesus is gentle. Mt 11:29
Gentleness is a fruit of the spirit. Gal 5:22

James 1:19 tells us that everyone should be slow to speak.

1 Tim 2:2 tells us to pray for those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives.

Proverbs 13:3 tells us that anyone who guards his words protects his life; anyone who talks too much is ruined.

1 Thess 4:11 tells us to make it our goal to live a quiet life.

Proverbs 11:12 tells us that a sensible person keeps quiet.

Sin is unavoidable when there is much talk, but whoever seals his lips is wise. Pro 10:19

Don't sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Psalms 4:4

It's extremely important for Christian women ( not just wives) to have a gentle and quiet spirit. Likewise, it's also important for Christian men (husbands included) to have a gentle and quiet spirit. In order for a Christian marriage to genuinely reflect Christ's relationship with his church, both partners (husband & wife) should practice gentleness and quietness.

 

[Depleted]

Thanks for the "gentle and quiet" Bible study in this thread.

Honestly? I wasn't going to participate because I am neither "gentle" nor "quiet." I'm Northeastern Urban American Loud. (Still, not a lady. lol)

(Amusing moment while I wrote that sentence that proved my point. I'm busy typing on my lap, look up and see this "massive" spider on my screen. My response was neither gentle nor quiet. More this --

-- with sound effects. And then I thought it was like one of those roach-infested screen savers. And then I realized it wasn't quite as massive as I first thought. More this size, including legs -- O. So, I laughed and told hubby why I just Acked! And let the little fellow go down, and the back up again.)

But when Rose explained the Greek words, I sighed a bit. Northeastern Urban American Loud is fine, just as long as we choose to submit, and choose to be guided by God. Obviously, the spider tells me I'm not there all the way.

What? God's giving me a humongous spider to attack me? It's just a little spider, and yet my emotions outweighed trusting and submitting to God. And... if only my actions went off the radar with spiders only, I wouldn't worry so much about not fulfilling God's purpose for me. But my loud is sinful too often in worse ways.

Two stories on what I've seen as good "gentle and quiet spirits." One a woman and one a man, just because I like stories from both sides of "gentle and quiet."

Hubby was over a friend's house one night. After dinner, and the guy's wife was in the kitchen cleaning up, while the two of them were in the family room talking. His friend was shooting darts while the talked. (It wasn't a game of darts. He was just messing around while they talked.) The last dart made the thump into the dartboard, and his wife came in, grabbed all the darts, handed them to him, and left.

His friend said, "Yeah. I have never asked her to do that, but she does it anyway. I can't stop her."

We think that's the cutest thing, because that was one way she liked to take care of her husband.


There are two things about me that you should always distrust when I give suggestions -- directions and determining if an appliance is completely broken. If we're driving, and you ask me if you should turn left or right, I promise that whatever I say, you should do the opposite, or we will be lost shortly after that. And if I tell you "The air-conditioner is broken," it's guaranteed it is not broken. More likely the battery is dead in the remote. Just as likely I tried to turn it on with the TV's remote.

And yet, today it happened. I heard noises from our ground-floor a/c that were so loud, I checked the window above it to see if someone was trying to break it outside. (No idea why anyone would do that, but I couldn't come up with another reason for that sound.) Shortly after that, hubby woke up, came downstairs, went into the kitchen to make his coffee, and that's the moment the a/c stopped.

He laughs at me when I say, "It broke," so I was careful to say, "The a/c stopped working."

He's hard of hearing too, so he laughed at me anyway, thinking I said it broke. So I said, "Can you hear it?" He couldn't.

He was an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) mechanic when we were first married. Of course, most HVAC mechanics don't work on home a/c units because most of the time, it's easier and cheaper to buy a new unit than to fix what's there, but he used to be able to take out and put in even 18,000 BTU units like we have, and he can't anymore. So that frustrates him. (He gets angry, but tries not to take it out on anyone or anything.)

Add to that, yesterday was the last day of a heat wave, so we held off on shopping until today, so we really needed to go shopping. (Two stressors, and he still didn't have his first cup of coffee.) So we found a local appliance place on the way to the grocery store and went in to see if they'd replace our unit. Lots of show rooms, but a high-rise with corkscrew stairs, and he can't manage those kinds of stairs anymore. (A little angrier.) But, I saw a guy at the parts window so I asked. They don't install, but he gave us the name of a place that did, and it wasn't too far away. Well, rumor has it, it wasn't far away. But it was a diagonal street, which is such an oddity in Philly, that it screws up any concept of how the numbering on the street is done. (Streets are numbered from east to west or from Market Street either going north or south, so diagonally is numbered by whichever whim someone had when they made that street. And this particular street only went south but we had to head north to get to it. Not a happy camper after all these things went wrong in the first 90 minutes after he woke up.

I'm the passenger, so I had more time to notice which way the street was numbered. But... remember? If I tell you to turn left, you should turn right? And, if something else goes wrong, I'm not entirely sure he can contain that much anger. That and it's in the 80's and we have no a/c in our main floor.

So I gutsed telling him about what I saw of the numbering on one corner of the diagonal street, so he could figure out how to get to the right block to find the place. He listened! He listened when history says not to listen to me.

And we did go down that street, only to find out the street ended before that address was possible to happen. (It ended in the 1800 block, but the address is in the 2000 block. We never found the place after all that, and he didn't blow up on me. He loves me too much to do that. And that's the gentle and quiet spirit of a man who had every reason not to feel gentle nor quiet.

(Hey, we're not crazy. We did go shopping, came home, and called them. They're coming tomorrow or Friday. lol)

 

[oldethennew]

TY, Lynn.,

great story with many lessons to glean for married couples and or - I think I have told you
what a kind and gentle Spirit my precious husband has, and he has taught me so many things
about humility and how he always tries and put me first, even when I have realized that I was
in the wrong - he never belittles me or makes me feel less or stupid and always overlooks my
obvious mistakes without being unkind...yes, Jesus certainly has made it obvious to me that
He loves me so much through my Christ-like-Husband, I am truly blessed, to say the least...
guess this is one reason what so many times when he is asleep, I just have to kiss and cuddle
him without waking him up.

 

[Complex]

I define it as meekness and a willingness to submit your own will to the will of God.

 

[OneFaith]

I think of this scene in Bravebeart, where the new bride's gentleness and quiet spirit saves her husband from attack.

https://youtu.be/xxNA9TMMyk0