Phil Newton said everyone faces pride, and it can show up in a lot of ways that aren’t pretty.
“We battle it every day; pride raises its ugly head,” said Newton, director of pastoral care and mentoring for the Pillar Network in Wake Forest, North Carolina. “It asserts itself into our conversation. It preens its feathers in our sermons. It reacts with anger to anyone challenging it. It domineers, manipulates, acts with deceit, asserts with heavy hand to accomplish goals, ironically excusing all those unrestrained acts as necessary for kingdom work.”
It’s a direct contrast to gentleness, which is necessary for a Christlike life, Newton said during his pastoral talk at the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors Conference on June 12.
“Gentleness carries the idea of the raging strength of mind and imagination being tamed and teachable just as a powerful horse is tamed by its master’s bridle,” he said. “The fruit of the Spirit is gentleness. The evidence of the indwelling Holy Spirit is found in hearts that are bent to hear and receive the gospel and to live under the gospel’s sin-killing and life-giving power.”
Rather than depending on strength of personality or intellect, the pastor “marked by gentleness will be a gospel man, humbly yielding himself to the power of God through the Word,” he said.
The model for this gentleness is Christ, who said He was gentle and lowly in heart and invited people to learn from him, Newton said. “Brothers, if we would be like Jesus, we must be humble and gentle, compassionate and merciful. Our impulses must be checked by the influences of Jesus.”
To view more photos from Newton’s talk, click here.
