Meekness is also translated as “gentleness.” No matter how we translate the word, “proates” in the Greek, it does not mean weak. In our day “meekness” could well be spelled “weakness,” but that is definitely not the meaning of meekness as translated from the Greek. We generally refer to a meek person as a weak person, but that perception is wrong. The word has three main meanings in the New Testament. (This was derived from The Daily Study Bible.)
Meekness means submission to the will of God. The “meek” that are mentioned in Matthew 5:5 are an example of what this means. “Blessed are the meek” means “blessed are those who are submitted to the will of God.” Matthew 5:5 tells us that the meek “will inherit the earth.” People who will inherit the earth are not wilting flowers that are afraid of their shadows, Instead they are people of faith who have submitted to God’s will for their lives. This means that they are under God’s control, not the control of the world. They are like horses that have been broken. They still have their innate strength, but that strength is channeled in a more creative way. Their strength is now at the command of God instead of self or Satan. Meekness means that one is teachable. A meek person is one who is not too proud to learn. A meek person would certainly not be a know-it-all who never has anything to learn. James 1:21 refers to this: “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and evil that is so prevalent and humbly (meekly) accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” The meek person is quick to see the error of his or her way, and turn from it. The meek person is willing to learn, even if he or she has to change his or her mind based on what he or she has learned. Indeed, the Holy Spirit makes us teachable – if we will let Him. The meek person is aware of the whispering of the Holy Spirit when he or she is about to go the wrong way. The meek person realizes that we never reach a point in life when we have nothing new to learn. I have been reading and studying the Bible for many years, but each time I go through it, I learn a whole lot of new things. Only God is omniscient – all-knowing - and the meek person knows that. Meekness means that one is considerate. According to scholars, this is the way meek is used most often. In 1Corinthians 4:21, Paul used the word in this way: “What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip or in love with a gentle (meek) spirit?” The meaning: "Shall I 'clean your plow,' or shall I be considerate?" Jesus is the best example of meekness as considerateness. This meekness is beautifully illustrated in Jesus’ consideration for His mother, Mary, at the cross. He gave her over to the care of the beloved apostle John. Think of how different things would be in our churches if we practiced being considerate to each other. If we follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our fellowship, we will be considerate of each other. I think that we could say that meekness should be a mixture of all three of these qualities. The Holy Spirit teaches us, and leads us to be submissive to God’s will, teachable and considerate to each other. The truly meek person will have each of these qualities. We need all three of these qualities if we are to be the best witnesses for Jesus Christ that we can be. This is certainly the aim of the Holy Spirit who is at work in our lives. Bro. Joe
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