How to Be More Humble: The Importance of Gentleness
Lesson 9 -- Fruit of the Spirit
(Bite-Sized Bible Course)

This world could learn how to be more humble. But that means one very important thing.

It starts with you. All of us need to learn a little gentleness in our lives. After all, if we don't learn how to be more humble, who will?

We as believers MUST learn to be like our Master. This starts with finding a little humility. That's what we're looking at next in our Fruit of the Spirit Course.

But first, if you haven't taken the other lessons yet, please do. It's best to take these lessons in order because they build on each other.

Also, don't forget to take the final quiz. It will help you learn the material.

And now, on to Lesson 9!

How to Be More Humble

If we want to learn how to be more humble, it's really about how the Spirit makes us more like Jesus. We must be humble and gentle, just like He was (Matthew 11:29). The word here carries both meanings. That's why many translations render this "gentleness."

Yet, the word has the dominant meaning of humility. So we're sticking with that idea for this lesson. We need to learn how to be more humble, just like Jesus.

Let's also talk about what this doesn't mean. Humility isn’t thinking less of ourselves. Being humble isn't about being a doormat. Jesus certainly wasn't a doormat!

It's seeing ourselves as God sees us. It’s taking our rightful place under God. This will always show up as a softer, kinder way of treating people.

This is what Paul meant when he listed “gentleness” as part of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). It's not about a personality type. It's something the Spirit grows in every believer who walks with Jesus. If the Spirit is at work in us, gentleness will be one of the clearest signs that our pride is losing its grip.

Let's take a general look at what the Bible says. Then we'll apply this to the Fruit of the Spirit.

Jesus: Our Prime Example of How to Be More Humble

Jesus revealed is heart to us in one important way. As He pulled back the curtain, He gave us a glimpse into a gentle, lowly spirit (Matthew 11:29). He demonstrated this when He invited weary, burdened people to come under His yoke and find rest (Matthew 11:28–30). The One with all authority in heaven and on earth comes to us humbly. He doesn't appear with barked orders but with a humble, welcoming heart.

That means we don’t learn humility by staring at ourselves. We won't find the answer to our question in the mirror. We discover how to be more humble by staring into the mirror of God's Word and seeing Jesus.

Watch how He receives sinners. How He answers foolish questions. How He goes to the cross without lashing out (1 Peter 2:21–23). As His gentleness toward us sinks in, our sharpness toward others starts to feel out of place.

How Paul's Fruit of the Spirit Shows How to Be More Humble

Paul picks up where Jesus left off. Paul isn't an innovator. He simply echoes His Lord's words when he writes about the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:21-22). Let's see what he has to say.

The Flesh: Where Pride Makes Us Harsh

Scripture contrasts the Fruit of the Spirit with the “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19–23). The flesh is our old, self-centered way of living. It always bends us toward pride. Pride says, “My time matters most, my opinion is best, my hurts are biggest.” That inner posture leaks out in rough, ungentle ways.

Here are some warning signs of pride:

• We talk more than we listen, assuming we already know. (Proverbs 18:2; James 1:19)
• We snap or simmer when others interrupt, disagree, or fail us. (Galatians 5:19–21)
• We keep close track of how we’ve been wronged, but rarely of how we’ve wounded others. (Colossians 3:12–13)

Left alone, our flesh doesn’t drift toward gentleness. It edges toward anger, rivalry, and contempt (Galatians 5:19–21). You see, gentleness is “fruit” because only the Spirit can produce it. The flesh does the opposite.

The Spirit: Growing Gentleness from Humility

The same passage that lists the works of the flesh promises fruit that only the Spirit can produce (Galatians 5:22–23). When the Spirit humbles us before God, He also makes us gentle with people. He does this by showing us the sin we must abandon and Jesus, whom we must follow.

What does humility say? “I’m a forgiven sinner who lives by grace every moment.” That heart-position is what makes gentleness possible.

We begin to see others not as obstacles to our plans, but as people God loves. We see people as Christ sees them (Philippians 2:3–8; Ephesians 4:32). Underneath a truly gentle response, there is always a humbled heart.

Practically, this is what the Spirit’s work looks like over time:

• We become quicker to listen and slower to speak. (James 1:19)
• We start correcting others with a tear in our eye instead of a hammer in our hand. (Galatians 6:1)
• We find ourselves more willing to absorb small wrongs instead of demanding to be treated “just right.” (Ephesians 4:2–3; Colossians 3:12–13)

None of this is natural. It’s supernatural fruit.

Practicing Gentle Humility Under Jesus’ Yoke

Here's the interesting part. We're still called to cultivate that fruit.

Wait! Isn't humility and gentleness Fruit of the Spirit? If it's produced by the Spirit, why do I have to do anything?

The Spirit produces fruit in us so that we can practice it. That's the point. Fruit is something interactive. It's to be enjoyed because it tastes so delicious. But you have to taste the fruit to enjoy it.

If we want to enjoy the sweetness of spiritual life, we must use the Spirit's power to live humbly and gently. This isn't something passive. It's something powerful. And it should motivate us to live out humility and gentleness all the more.

We can think in terms of three ongoing moves:

• Come: We bring our proud words, hard reactions, and tired hearts to Christ, again and again (Matthew 11:28–29).
• Learn: We look at His gentle dealings with weak disciples and stubborn sinners, and we ask Him to press that same heart into us (Matthew 11:29; 1 Peter 2:21–23).
• Walk: In the next conflict, interruption, or disagreement, we consciously bite back the sharp reply, ask a question instead of assuming, offer a soft answer instead of a hard one (Proverbs 15:1; Ephesians 4:2).

Over time, the Spirit shapes our instincts. Little by little, gentleness starts to become how we reflexively move toward others. The Spirit gives us the fruit. Now we must cultivate it in our lives so that we can enjoy it.

Now It’s Your Turn

Do you want to be more humble? Start where Jesus says to start. He tells all of us to take His yoke and learn humility and gentleness (Matthew 11:29). Before you try to fix your tone or your temper, get down on your knees and ask God to give you what you need to succeed.

If you haven't accepted Jesus in faith as your Lord and Savior, you're missing the first step. That's how the Spirit begins to produce fruit. Jesus is that garden that produces anything valuable.

If you already believe, surrender everything to your Lord. Let Him have your emotions so that you will never lose control. Hand Him your aspirations so that you never fall into arrogance when you succeed.

Hand everything to God so that the Spirit will produce humility and gentleness. This is the only way to taste all the sweetness God has for you.

God bless.

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