THE STRENGTH OF MEEKNESS

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

(Matthew 5:5, ESV)

People often mistake meekness for weakness. The fact is, meekness is a strength. Meekness is strength under control. It is a strength without the use of force. Meekness is a passive form of strength, but nevertheless a necessary strength. Meekness is a virtue in which strength is used in a gentle way. It is the ability to be able to use the right amount of force in your strength to deal with an issue or situation that may come up during your day. In other words, meekness is the strength of gentleness and gentleness is the strength of meekness. A friend once said in a sermon, “The gentleness of our demeanor reveals the greatness of our God.” So it is that if a man’s great strength is his meekness, then this testifies to the greatness of God manifested in his life through that man’s gentle spirit. According to the Scriptures, the Prophet Moses was marked by a very meek spirit, for we read in Numbers 12:3,“Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” (ESV). Now other translations of the Bible use the word “humble” instead of the term meek. These two virtues are like two different sides of the same coin. However, in a sense these two virtues are so closely associated with each other that it’s safe to say that a person who is humble possesses the strength of meekness, and a person who is meek possesses the spirit of humility. Moses exemplified these virtues well, yet he failed in this his greatest strength, because the children of Israel provoked him to anger. In other words, he lost control of his temper, when he needed most to remain meek and humble in the situation.