Mike Criswell
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, MEEKNESS, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)
Do you ever feel bullied? If you’ve ever been a victim of “bullying,” then you know the rage and anger that can quickly well up inside. It’s awful!
On the one hand, you probably know that the bully is the one with the real problem and that the best thing to do is just turn and walk away. You also likely know down deep (probably because of some character deficit in the bully) that the perpetrator just wants power and control over you.
I suppose, to one degree or another, we have all been bullied. When I was a child, I got bullied for a short time by another kid down the block. He was a Texan, so I guess I can overlook it. We actually became friends later on and even exchanged birthday gifts. So, I guess there’s always hope – especially when you’re only nine years old. But the worst is when you’re bullied by people who claim to be doing it out of “righteousness.” I’ve even been bullied by preachers. But don’t let anyone fool you. It’s not righteousness that produces that kind of spirit, its “SELF-Righteousness.” Jesus warned the Pharisees that self-righteousness was pretty much a one-way ticket to hell.
What do we do as Christians when we feel oppressed or when we feel weak? Well, here is where our text comes in. Meekness!
Meekness is a delicious spiritual fruit. Even when other’s actions leave a bitter taste in our mouth, we can feed on the Holy Spirit’s sweet fruit of meekness.
So, what is meekness? While a concise definition may be a bit hard to settle on, meekness is basically “strength” in dealing with adversity. It’s an attitude or heart quality that allows someone to submit to the will of another (even someone who is evil) without resistance or retaliation. I realize that this seems counterintuitive. What human wants to do that? Well, likely none of us really want to roll over and play possum. That’s why this characteristic (meekness) comes through patient cultivation of our hearts and minds. That’s why this characteristic is a luscious “spiritual fruit” and not a shriveled raisin.
Jesus, our savior, went to the cross as meek as a lamb (Isaiah 53;7). But Jesus wasn’t weak. He was The Lion! Meekness is NOT weakness. Jesus was in full control of his own destiny (John 10:18).
A meek person is not centered on self. They are centered on God and what His providential plan would want. Meekness is the opposite of self-will. It strives to bless others even at the expense of one’s own happiness. It’s a servant-like quality that has learned to submit to a higher authority (God) while submitting to worldly abuse.
One final thought. I read once that the Greek word “meekness” (prautes) was used of a wild animal after it had been tamed. Now that is a pretty startling description. When we are harmed, our human nature will want to lash out like a wild animal in a trap. But when we develop “meekness” we will be in full control of our emotions and our attitude. So, here’s the question: Is the Spirit developing meekness in your life? Only you can decide to be meek.
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