Main Scripture
Matthew 5:5:
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Introduction: Our Attitude Begins in the Heart
Proverbs 23:7:
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…”
Sometimes the Bible uses the heart and mind in a closely connected way. Proverbs says that a person “thinketh in his heart.” But every thought that enters our hearts is not necessarily true.
Jeremiah 17:9:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Matthew 15:18:
“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.”
What fills our hearts eventually shows up in our words, actions, and reactions. The Bible says we are known by our fruit.
Our attitude is our mental state and the way it affects our behavior. Our attitude affects every part of our lives.
The Lord wants to give us a new character. He wants our old nature to come under the control of the new nature He has placed within us.
Developing spiritual fruit must be a top priority in every Christian’s life.
From Rebellion to Submission
Before coming to Christ, we were rebellious by nature. We were like wild stallions that needed to be broken and brought under control.
How can we lead others to Christ if the fruit of Christ cannot be seen in us?
A Christian attitude develops as we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit. Our actions and reactions matter. The way we talk to people matters.
Someone once said:
“Life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we react to it.”
Before Christ, how did we react when:
- Did someone talk about us or slander us?
- Someone rejected us?
- Someone hurt or mistreated us?
Many times, we returned to the same behavior. We answered hurt with hurt and evil with evil.
But our Christian attitude is important.
We cannot change:
- The past
- What people have done to us
- How other people choose to behave
But through the power of the Holy Spirit, God can:
- Mold our hearts
- Change our attitudes
- Transform our reactions
- Make us useful for His purpose
He will do these things if we allow Him.
What Is Meekness?
Meekness may sound like weakness, but meekness is not weakness.
Meekness Is Power Under Control
Meekness means that we are not easily provoked. It allows us to suffer injuries and hurt without being consumed by a desire for revenge.
Years ago, a wild stallion brought down from the mountains had to be broken before it was ready for a rider. This process was sometimes described as being “meeked.”
Some horses were used to pull wagons. Others were used for racing. But the best horses were kept for warfare.
A trained warhorse could:
- Respond to the slightest nudge from its rider
- Gallop at great speed
- Stop at a single command
- Remain steady around arrows, spears, and torches
The horse had not lost its strength. Its strength had been brought under the control of its master.
That is meekness: power under control.
To be meeked was to be taken from a state of wild rebellion and brought into loyalty, obedience, and dependence upon a master.
Jesus had to get hold of some of us wild stallions!
He took us from wild rebellion, and now He wants us to become:
- Completely loyal to Him
- Dependent upon Him
- Responsive to His voice
- Controlled by His Spirit
- Ready to be used for His purpose
Meekness Is the Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22–23:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Meekness is not something we produce through willpower alone. It is fruit that develops as we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit.
Meekness is also one of the Christian attitudes Jesus taught in the Beatitudes.
Meekness Brings Restoration
To restore something means to bring it back to its former or proper condition.
Meekness means considering the needs of others rather than placing ourselves above them.
Many people sitting in church pews across the world need restoration. Even within the body of Christ, people are wounded, discouraged, struggling, and caught in sin.
We need more meekness in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 6:1:
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
Notice that the Bible says, “Ye which are spiritual.”
Spiritual maturity is not shown by how harshly we expose someone’s fault. It is shown by how gently we help restore that person.
We must consider ourselves because any one of us can fall to temptation.
Jesus restored us to God through His meekness. Therefore, we should seek to restore others in that same spirit.
The Opposite of Meekness
The opposite of meekness includes:
- Arrogance
- Self-exaltation
- Rebellion
- Disregard for others
- A domineering attitude
- Bossiness
- Constant argument
- Uncontrolled aggression
Sometimes we bring these old attitudes with us into Christianity. Even after we are saved, they may try to operate in our lives.
God wants to change our hearts, our attitudes, and the way we respond to negative situations. He wants our strength to come under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Moses: An Example of Meekness
Numbers 12:3:
“Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”
Numbers 12 gives us a powerful example of meekness.
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses. Moses could have defended himself or tried to punish them, but he allowed God to handle the situation.
Meekness Lets God Handle the Situation
Psalm 46:10:
“Be still, and know that I am God…”
Sometimes we need to take our hands off the situation and let God handle it.
Jesus can fix what we often make worse.
Psalm 147:6:
“The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.”
Meekness allows God to defend us and clear us of blame or suspicion.
Meekness Removes Self-Will
Meekness says:
“Not my will, Lord, but Your will be done.”
Meekness does not insist on having its own way. It submits to the wisdom and authority of God.
Meekness Stands in the Gap
After Miriam was judged, Moses did not celebrate her suffering. He prayed for her.
Numbers 12:13:
“And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.”
Moses sought Miriam’s restoration in a spirit of meekness.
True meekness does not rejoice when an enemy or critic suffers. Meekness stands in the gap and prays for that person.
Meekness Does Not Retaliate
Meekness does not return evil for evil.
Romans 12:17–21:
“Recompense to no man evil for evil… If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men… avenge not yourselves… for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
We do not have to repay every insult. We do not have to win every argument. We do not have to avenge ourselves.
God sees what happened, and He knows how to handle it.
If our enemy is hungry, we are told to feed him. If he is thirsty, we are told to give him something to drink.
Matthew 5:38–39:
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you… whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
Meekness refuses to let someone else’s behavior control our character.
Meekness Makes Us Teachable
A meek person is open to instruction and correction.
Psalm 25:9:
“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.”
We cannot be guided if we refuse to listen. We cannot be taught if we believe we already know everything.
Meekness allows God to correct us without rebellion, defensiveness, or excuses.
Isaiah 61:1:
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek…”
The meek are willing to hear, receive, and respond to the Word of God.
Jesus: Our Perfect Example of Meekness
Jesus was never weak. He possessed unlimited power, but His power remained under control.
Isaiah 53:7:
“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter…”
1 Peter 2:23:
“Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.”
When Jesus was insulted, He did not insult His enemies in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten them. He placed Himself and His situation into the hands of the righteous Judge.
Jesus was not powerless.
John 10:17–18:
“I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”
Matthew 26:53:
“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?”
Jesus had the power to stop everything that was happening to Him. Yet He willingly submitted Himself to the Father’s will.
That is meekness.
That is power under control.
How Do We Develop Meekness?
- Submit to the Holy Spirit
We must allow the Holy Spirit to work on our hearts, attitudes, actions, and reactions.
1 Peter 5:6:
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”
- Remain Connected to Christ
John 15:4–5:
“Abide in me, and I in you… He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
A branch cannot produce fruit by itself. It must remain connected to the vine.
Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. If we want the fruit of meekness to grow in our lives, we must remain connected to Him.
We remain connected through:
- Prayer
- God’s Word
- Worship
- Obedience
- Fellowship
- Submission to the Holy Spirit
- Let God Control Our Reactions
We may not be able to control what happens to us, but through the Holy Spirit, we can control how we respond.
When we are criticized, rejected, offended, or mistreated, we must ask:
“Is my reaction showing the old nature, or is it showing the character of Christ?”
Conclusion
Meekness is not weakness. It is not fear, cowardice, or helplessness.
Meekness is strength that has been surrendered to God.
Like the trained warhorse, a meek Christian still has power, ability, and strength. But that strength now responds to the slightest direction of the Master.
God wants to take us:
- From rebellion to obedience
- From retaliation to forgiveness
- From pride to humility
- From self-will to submission
- From uncontrolled reactions to Spirit-controlled power
The Lord wants to mold our hearts and change our attitudes so that He can use us.
We cannot produce this fruit by ourselves. We must remain connected to Jesus and submit to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 5:5:
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Closing Thought
Are we still reacting like wild stallions, or have we allowed the Lord to bring our strength under His control?
Meekness is power under the control of the Holy Spirit.