This is the fifth in a series of posts explaining and applying GFA’s seven core values. See posts on biblical, conservative, expectant, and prayerful.
Core Value #5—Gracious: We desire to manifest an approachable, teachable, respectful, and charitable spirit in all our dealings within and outside of GFA.
The core value gracious is an effort to summarize many qualities required of Christians, especially those who serve in spiritual leadership. Notice the bolded words in the five points below:
- The fruit that God’s Spirit produces in His people includes love, patience, kindness, goodness, and gentleness (Galatians 5:22–23).1
- Titus was to remind believers “to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men” (Titus 3:2).
- In contrast to “earthly, natural, demonic” wisdom reflected in “bitter jealousy” and “selfish ambition” (James 3:14–15), the “wisdom from above” is “pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits” (James 3:17).
- In helping those who have sinned, God commands believers to do so “in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1).
- The Lord places these requirements on spiritual leaders: They must “not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, … patient when wronged” (2 Timothy 2:24). They must act with gentleness when giving correction (2 Timothy 2:25).
We want this gracious spirit—approachable, teachable, respectful, and charitable—to be evident at the core of our character. Our desire is to display these qualities in all our dealings with other people, both within and outside of GFA.
It is possible to be known for sarcastic, denigrating words toward or about those who offend us. When someone doesn’t measure up, the common response is to scoff or belittle. But this combative, quarrelsome spirit dishonors the Lord. If we are characterized by a harsh tongue or sharp, demeaning sarcasm toward others, we are living in disobedience to God. We must repent and reject, by God’s grace, these sinful patterns.
The passages above are crystal clear: The Spirit-controlled believer will be growing in gentleness and kindness in his responses toward others. God requires these qualities in all His people, and those in spiritual leadership must be an example in these areas. This example is non-negotiable, even when dealing with personal offenses or sin in other people.
In many ways, gracious serves as a counterpart to GFA’s second core value, conservative. We take firm, even inflexible positions on certain matters where the holiness of God is at stake. By God’s grace, we will stand on strong convictions without budging an inch to demonstrate the unique, pure character of God. But we will do so, by that same grace, with a kind, gentle, charitable, gracious spirit toward those who hold different and even opposing views. Someone who professes a desire to defend God’s holiness but who does so with a haughty, condescending, critical spirit toward others actually gives the wrong impression of God. Rather than promoting God’s holiness, he misrepresents God, despite the strongest, most biblical positions and standards. We want to be both conservative and gracious at our core.
Our opportunity to be gracious often comes when people don’t measure up to our expectations. Sometimes our children don’t behave as they should, and we are tempted to correct them harshly. Sometimes a coworker doesn’t follow through as planned. Sometimes people don’t show up as promised. Sometimes neighbors create great inconveniences for us. Sometimes people oppose our best intentions to do them good and teach them the truth of God. Sometimes people interrupt us in our busiest moments.
On these occasions, are we known as critical, harsh, severe, quick to snap, or impossible to please? Or is our gentle spirit “known to all men” (Philippians 4:5)? Parents, do our family members have to “walk on eggshells” during our times of stress and disappointment? Or can they count on seeing in us the gentleness of Christ?
May God develop at our core a gracious spirit that reflects our Savior!
1 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the NASB® New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.