Gentleness

A couple of years ago, during a lesson, I was encouraged to seek out one attribute of Christ and develop that attribute in myself.  Wow!  There are so many ways that I feel I am lacking.  It can feel so overwhelming to pick just one.  However, the one that keeps coming back to me is gentleness.

While I might have moments of gentleness, I don’t consider myself a gentle person, yet I would like to be more gentle.  How do I go about changing?  While there is a lot written on becoming bold, confident, strong… gentleness is not as popular a topic (though you can find some thought-provoking articles if you google “how do I become gentle”).

One common thread I see as I search and study is to be mindful (there’s that mindfulness stuff again) about how you are feeling, noticing your thoughts and emotions.  Another common thread is to not be reactionary, rather to stop and process what is being said, how another might feel, etc before responding.  Control yourself and be master of the situation, instead of letting the situation control you (again, being mindful of your impact, and intentional about what you want to be).

Here are just a few scriptures/quote to ponder in conjunction with mastering ourselves and changing our nature:

“When you observe kind and gentle mothers in action, you see women of great strength. Their families can feel a spirit of love and respect and safety when they are near her as she seeks the companionship of the Holy Ghost and the guidance of His Spirit.” ~Margaret D. Nadauld

For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.  Mosiah 3:19

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.  Ether 12:27