Humble and Gentle Giants: Strength Under God’s Control
- Jack Selcher
- Sep 16, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Summary
Humble, gentle giants reflect Christ’s strength under God’s control. They understand their sinfulness and salvation by grace, living gratefully without self-promotion. Gentleness is not weakness but Spirit-shaped strength marked by courage, restraint, and self-control. Jesus modeled this perfectly, as did Moses. Because Christ humbled Himself for us, believers are called to live humbly and gently, trusting God to work through them for others’ good.
The Close Connection Between Humility and Gentleness
My mother’s first cousin, Ruth, and her brother, Arthur, were genetically more similar to her than most first cousins. They were the children of my maternal grandmother’s brother and maternal grandfather’s sister. Similarly, we can connect humility and gentleness.
Humbly gentle giants do not try to make a name for themselves. They often seem like pushovers. Many misunderstand their humility and gentleness as signs of weakness.
What Humble People Truly Understand
Humble people see themselves as they are. They know they are sinners. They realize they have fallen short of God’s goodness standard--Jesus’ perfect life in word, attitude, and deed.
They also understand they are God’s children by undeserved favor through their faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. He has declared them righteous by crediting Jesus’ righteousness to their account. They are grateful for God’s favor and live like it.
Thinking of Yourself Less, Not Less of Yourself
Humble, gentle giants do not assume they are nothing. They do not put themselves down. They do not think less of themselves. They do, however, think of themselves less.
They do not boast, seek revenge, or promote themselves. They yield and are responsive to God.
They do not pretend to know everything. They are teachable. They allow Jesus to be Himself in and through them. They permit Him to teach them to be like Him.
Jesus: The Model of Humble Gentleness
Jesus was humble and gentle. He said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29 NIV).
Humble and Gentle Giants
Gentleness is a mixture of strength, courage, and restraint. Gentle people are strong in the Lord and the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10), but do not have to prove it.
They courageously but respectfully do what is right. They maintain self-control (Galatians 5:23). They do not retaliate or pursue revenge against those who offend them.
Their gentleness is not natural. Like plow horses, God has tamed and trained them to be gentle. They submit their strengths to His control.
They keep a faith connection to Jesus, the vine (John 15). He produces abiding fruit. As a result, their Holy Spirit-empowered loving words and actions bless others.
The Apostle Paul writes that a life worthy of Divine calling is completely humble and gentle (Ephesians 4:2). Humble, gentle spiritual people gently communicate God’s truth to those who have not yet accepted it, trusting God will soften their hearts (2 Timothy 2:25). They share a reason for their hope in God with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15-16).
Moses was known for his gentleness (Numbers 12:3). He cared about God’s honor and what was best for others.
Living God’s Agenda, Not Our Own
He was strong but responsive to God’s control. Humble, gentle giants say no to their agenda for the day when necessary to say yes to God’s agenda for their lives.
God is unimaginably big and powerful. He transcends space and time. Jesus, the Word made flesh, created everything (John 1:3, 14), yet He described Himself as gentle and humble.
He humbled Himself to become human and to die on the cross in our place (Philippians 2:7-8). Since He is not too big to be gentle and humble, it is foolish to think we are. See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians.
God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 7,590 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 17,681 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting.
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