Meekness is not weakness
Friday 4th July
If you think meek is weak, try being meek for a week. True meekness is not a sign of weakness. It takes a really strong person to be truly meek.
Moses, we are told, was the meekest man on the face of the earth and he certainly was not a weak individual. To face the rigors of putting up with some two and a half million people who were constantly complaining took a lot of courage as well as patience.
Unger’s Bible Dictionary tells us that ”meekness in the scriptural sense is an inwrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly toward God. The Greek term expresses that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us without disputing and resisting; and it is closely linked with humility.”
The Lord Jesus invites us to ”come unto him... and to take his yoke and learn of him for he is meek and lowly in heart.” Jesus Christ would certainly qualify as the meekest man who ever lived and yet he was also the most powerful man who ever lived.
It takes great strength of character to be reviled and revile not again. Peter tells us that when Christ ”suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.”
It takes great strength to be meek, ”to resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
Jesus not only told us to do this. He did it! It is one thing to know what is right. It is quite another thing to do it.
Since we are promised that ”the meek shall inherit the earth” we had better begin practicing meekness. The world despises the characteristics that please God. This is why the world equates meekness with weakness.
We need to understand that ”the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” We need to listen to Peter, who tells us that the ”ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price.”
It was Peter who also told us to ”be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time.”
We must realize that humility and meekness are kindred spirits and the opposite of doing ”what comes naturally.” We should accept the challenge of being meek for a week and observe the startling change that will take place in us. Being meek for a week will convince us that meekness is not weakness.
James asks us a question: ”Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?” The answer to James’ question should interest us because we ought to try to be that person who is wise and endued with knowledge. To be this person, James tells us that we should ”by our good life show our works in the meekness of wisdom.”
Isaiah tells us that ”the meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD.” David declares, ”The LORD taketh pleasure in his people; he will beautify the meek with salvation.” Meekness is beautiful and salvation is the result, for truly ”the meek shall inherit the earth.”