Gentleness is a fruit of the spirit and involves having a humble heart and expressing kindness toward others. A gentle heart will accept God's wisdom and yield to His discernment.
Prautes, the Greek word translated "gentleness" in Galatians 5:23, means "to submit one's strength in a posture of meekness." Prautes is translated as "gentleness," "consideration," "humility," and "meekness." One part of gentleness is to calmly accept God's judgment regarding a situation, even if that judgment results in personal hardship. It is humility toward God. When we submit to God, we will also be gentle with others. The fruit of the Spirit, listed in Galatians 5:22–23, is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Each piece of spiritual fruit works in concurrence with the others. We often think of gentleness as tenderness or even softness, but biblical gentleness is more than that. It involves having a humble heart and being kind toward others. Some dictionaries define gentleness in part as being "mild-mannered;" we are polite and restrained in our behavior toward others. Gentleness is closely related to meekness, which is strength under control. Gentleness does not mean weakness or timidity but rather choosing to respond in a way that is best for the other. Those who are gentle are humble and thankful toward God; they have a peaceful mind and submit wholly to His plan.
We are to submit our strength, including the strength of our convictions, to God's wisdom. We are to teach God's point of view, not our own. And we are to accept that God's actions toward ourselves and others are the right actions, even when human wisdom thinks otherwise. In our teaching approach, we should be respectful toward others. We are not to forcefully share truth or correction, browbeating others into accepting it. Instead, we are called to share truth in a spirit of love (Ephesians 4:13–16). This does not mean that we aren't strong in our convictions or that we don't stand up for what we believe in. Gentleness is not weakness or lack of conviction. Rather, it means that we value the person we are sharing truth with and thus treat them as a person made in God's image. If anything about us is offensive, it should be the message of the gospel itself, not the way we deliver it.
Gentleness is the spirit and attitude behind repentance. To "repent" in a biblical sense is to change one's mind and believe that God is right. Repentance is necessary for salvation, and we need to carry an attitude of repentance in a gentle spirit our entire lives. As a result, we will also be gentle with others, recognizing that they are created in God's image (Genesis 1:27) and loved by Him (2 Peter 3:9).