Gentleness: The Way of Life

by R. D. Norman

In a world that prizes speed, achievement, and self-assertion, gentleness can feel like a forgotten virtue. Yet the Bible calls believers to display this Christlike quality in every relationship and circumstance. How do we live this out in the chaos of everyday life? What hope is there for those who speak before they think or react before they pray?

In Gentleness, R. D. Norman unpacks Scripture’s teaching on this often-overlooked fruit of the Spirit, showing why it matters and how it transforms the way we engage with others. Winsome, practical, and rooted in God’s Word, this book invites you to reflect the heart of Christ—strength under control, guided by love.

R. D. Norman serves as a missionary in Romania, where he is involved in evangelism, discipleship, counseling, and teaching. He is joyfully married to his wife, Ema, and together they have a daughter, Abigail.

105 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 11, 2025

Reviews

[Ben Hegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. I am blessed to be friends with the author and thus I received a free copy but was not required to write a positive review. As he says in the introduction, the written material on this subject is very sparse indeed, strangely. I don't think I've ever heard of another book on this subject, specifically gentleness. I really enjoyed how in part one he takes us through how God the Father, Son and Spirit are gentle and then in part two he takes us through three areas of our lives in which we can improve in this way. The author acknowledges right at the start that he is not perfect and is speaking to himself as much as to us in the book, which is excellent and shows humility. I really enjoyed the personal examples, they gave it a real relatable side also, which really personalised it and helped me start to apply it by seeing similar situations in my own life where I could apply it. Very highly recommended!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked up Gentleness: The Way of Life, I couldn’t remember ever seeing (let alone reading) a book on gentleness. I quickly realized that neither had R.D. Norman and that’s why he wrote the book. At only 118 pages, most could read it quickly. But I decided to do the opposite, meditatively making my way through it bit by bit. I recommend that you do the same. The first half of the book holds before us the gentleness of God, guiding us to reflect on how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each uniquely deal with us in gentleness. The second half of the book holds the gospel before us, both in a call to enter the divine gentleness held out to us there, and exhorting us to become the channel of gentle grace to those around us. Again and again, I was challenged to examine my own life before the Lord of all gentleness.