meekness is not weakness

 

 

 

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth. Matthew 5:5 

 

 

 

 

 

When I looked up the definition of meek or meekness I was surprised to see that nearly every definition was written in a manner that conjures up thoughts of cowardice, weakness and even laziness. I knew that this was not quite right. I am smart enough to know that this is not what the Lord would have for us. I knew that I needed to do some deeper study and get some new thoughts about what meekness really is.  

 

A bit of insight and awakening happened when I was looking at the Miriam Webster dictionary under the word meek and came up with a list of related words and near antonyms for meek. 

Related Words acquiescent, compliant, deferential, resigned, submissive, unaggressive, unassertive, yielding; cowering, cringing, shrinking; ingenuous, naive (or naïve), plain, simple, unaffected; bashful, diffident, introverted, mousy (or mousey), overmodest, passive, quiet, reserved, retiring, sheepish, shy, subdued, timid, unobtrusive; aw-shucks, self-deprecating, self-deprecatory, self-effacing

I read that list of words related to meek and thought to myself, "nobody really aspires to be those things, and many of them do not sound very God-like, Why would God ask me to be these things?"  I then read on to the next part the near antonyms (or opposite) of the word meek. The thought crossed my mind, "If you are not meek, then you must be these other things that are the opposite of meek."  
 

Near Antonyms aggressive, assertive, audacious, bold, brash, brassy, cheeky, forward, impertinent, impudent, saucy; cocksure, cocky, confident, hubristic, overconfident, self-confident; egocentric, egoistic (also egoistical), narcissistic, prideful, self-affected, self-centered, self-complacent, self-conceited, self-congratulatory, self-contented, self-engrossed, self-important, self-obsessed, self-pleased, self-satisfied, smug, stuck-up, swelled-headed; boastful, bombastic, braggy, swaggering, vain, vainglorious; condescending, disdainful, dominant, dominating, domineering, magisterial, overbearing, patronizing, pontificating; flamboyant, ostentatious, showy; extroverted (also extraverted), immodest, outgoing, uninhibited, unreserved

Antonyms arrogant, bumptious, chesty, conceited, egotistic (or egotistical), fastuous, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, hoity-toity, huffish, huffy, imperious, lordly, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity

 Where is your heart in this list? Do you find yourself  within the space of those antonym words?  It is eye opening isn't it? 

In first Timothy 6:10 we are warned that the love of money is the root of all evil. Take a look again at the list of near antonyms for meekness, do they not sound like the effects of a world obsessed with money and power for themselves?  Now the next little part is enlightening.  1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12: fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called...... 

In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 Paul speaks to the saints at Corinth. He talks about how the wise, mighty, and noble are not always the ones called to his work. Verses 27 tells us who is called; But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.

God has chosen those that would be defined as weak to confound the mighty. He has chosen the meek  But are the meek really all that weak?  

Who are the meek?

One of the popular definitions of meek is tame. Many living in this world would say that being tame is not a great quality to have (along with many of the other qualities of a meek person), but let us look deeper. Let us take a look at the Clydesdale horses they are big and very powerful creatures. They are wonderful horses that can do great work. But, if they are not tamed and trained well, they cannot be the good work horses they are known for. It is the same with us. If we are not tame in our ways, we are not truly God's.  If our hearts and souls do not belong to God, we are of no good use to him in his kingdom.

Meekness is actually a very powerful character trait that you would be wise to pursue once you understand what it really is. It has been a journey as I have worked to truly understand meekness as the Lord sees it.  I finally came to Wikepedia, it had a definition that made sense. It opened up my mind to what real meekness is.  Meekness is the opposite of the natural man who gives into every whim and desire of the body. A man or woman that is meek is strong because his or her desires are under well under control (tame) and therefore he or she is in control of the body and mind and has overcome many of the wiles of the devil. Meekness is the ability to control our thoughts, and actions. Meekness is a strong internal attitude towards pure goodness and a love that is often shows itself as gentleness on the outside.

Because it is hard to describe and it shows itself as gentleness on the outside meekness has been labeled and defined as something very different than what it really is. It has been said that meekness is one of the hardest words to define and to translate from one language to another. Through my studies I can see why that it so. Meekness comes very close to the heart of God. Once pursued, it changes our hearts to be more like his. This change of heart is something that cannot be explained very well.  Meekness is a trait that can only be developed  and truly understood by those who choose to truly follow Christ.

 Meekness is not valued at all in any form in our modern world, in fact it is just the opposite, those who would show meekness would be defined by the world as weak. It is too bad that the world would give us that silly list of words that are near to the word meek and tell us that meekness is truly a weakness of character. True meekness is a strong character strength, it in fact is not weak at all, a person who is truly meek has worked hard to align his or her heart to God. The meek person has overcome the Devil and is very highly prized in God's kingdom. To be meek is to find strength in God and his ways. This is where I want to be. This is where I strive to be.  


For your continued study on this topic I have included some links below that may be of insight and understanding

The fruit of the spirit: meekness

Meekness a dimension of true discipleship

meekness; God's cure