THE MEEK AND LOWLY IN HEART

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

Matthew 5:5

The meek are gentle in spirit, disciplined, and mostly self-controlled.  The meek and humble rule in God's kingdom.  The proud will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.  The meek and lowly mourn over their sins.  They trust in the Lord and find delight in Him as well.  Their hope is in God and not in the pleasures of this world, themselves, their achievements, or their abilities. Jesus, the meek and lowly, shows us a better way. Let us see what we can learn from our Lord about meekness and humility.

I.   MEEKNESS & HUMILITY:  GOD'S CURE TO PRIDE:

Why do you suppose we are to be meek and humble?  Should we learn to be more self-assertive or not to be proud and haughty?  What do you think?  What does the Word of God teach us concerning meekness, humility, gentleness, and lowliness?  Contrast that with pride, selfishness, self-will, self-centeredness, and arrogance.  Which do you think are the greatest qualities a child of God ought to possess?  Pride and haughtiness? Or Meekness and humility?  

• What Does it Mean to Be Meek? 

The word “meekness” is not a word commonly used in our everyday conversations.  The NASB and HCSB use the word “gentle.”  The NLT uses “humble.”  The Greek Lexicon defines it as “not being overly impressed by a sense of one's self-importance, gentle, humble, considerate, meek.” Meekness does not mean weakness.  Sometimes it is translated as gentleness.  Meekness is an attitude of the heart (1 Peter 3:4).  It does not mean to assert oneself for his own sake.  The word carries the idea of restraint, though one has the power to do something.  Wherefrom an individual willingly submits and accepts without any resistance to the will and desires of someone else.  The individual has the ability and power but chooses not to use it. He is willing to put himself in second place and submit to do what is good for others.  Thus, it is a gentleness of spirit.

Meekness is the opposite of self-will, self-interest, and self-assertiveness.  It is in no way a sign of weakness of character, as many think, but instead of strength.  Meekness requires enormous self-control to submit to others.  One great example of meekness was our Lord Jesus.  In Gethsemane, He portrayed this attitude or character of heart when Peter stretched out his hand, drew his sword, struck the high priest servant, and cut off his ear.  Notice what our Lord Jesus said to Peter.

“Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?”  (Matthew 26:52-53)

Isaiah prophesied about the meekness of Jesus. We clearly see that meekness is firmly tied to self-control. We see in Jesus the gentleness and humility that keeps Him from defending Himself or acting on His behalf.  Jesus shows us an example demonstrating that meekness is not conflict but restraint.

“He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice”  (Isaiah 42:2-3).

Though Jesus was meek, He still had great power.  Yet, He showed a gentle spirit and self-control, doing His Father’s will and willfully surrendering to His Father.  Moses is another excellent example that showed the character of meekness.  Moses was very meek, above all men on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3).  Both Jesus and Moses were chosen by God to be givers of His Law.  So if you want to be happy, to be led by the Spirit, to avoid destruction, and to be great examples of meekness like Moses and Jesus, you must work on your meekness and humility.

• So, What is Humility?

It is an attitude or quality of mind (Acts 20:19) by which a person holds low esteem or opinion of his own goodness and importance. It is the opposite of pride, haughtiness, and self-exaltation. Spiritually speaking, one who humbles himself because of his sinfulness and thus is willing to depend on God to meet his needs.


I.   MEEKNESS AND HUMILITY TOWARD GOD:

In the Bible, meekness is mainly represented as submissiveness toward God.  Meekness and humility require that we do the following:

• Recognize Our Sinfulness:

In Luke 18:9-14, we read of a Pharisee who exalted himself and failed to see his sins.  On the other hand,  the Publican pleaded to God for mercy, admitting he was a sinner.  Notice what verse 14 states, “For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”  Humility is the opposite of self-exaltation and self-righteousness.  We have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Rom. 3:23).  Hence, we have no right to look down on other sinners as if we deserve salvation just because we are so good, and they don’t deserve it.  We humble ourselves like the Publican when we call on God to forgive us.

• Depend on God: 

In Deut. 8:3,11-14,16,18, we have Moses as our example of humility.  Moses knew that man lives not by bread alone but by the Word of God.  Our blessings come from God instead of our might and power.  It is wise to remind ourselves that we are nothing and are weak without God.  Then, we will begin to depend on God to meet our needs, thus appreciating and exalting Him.  In Matt. 18:1-4, Jesus stated that the greatest in the kingdom is the one who is humble like a little child.  A child does not just forgive but is dependent on his parents.  So humility leads us to trust, appreciate, and glorify our God rather than exalting ourselves.

• Submit to God’s Laws:  His Word

We must be willing to do what God commands.  To do that, we must accept our weaknesses and our failings.  When we obey God, we will believe in Him and do His will.  Moses is our best example of meekness and faithfulness (Num. 12:3,6,7).  He did, according to all that Jehovah God commanded him to do (Exo. 40:16).  He built all things according to the pattern shown to him (Heb. 8:5).  Jesus is our other example of meekness and humility.  He came to earth as a man and humbled Himself, becoming obedient, even to the point of death on the cross (Phil. 2:8).  He was without sin though He was tempted in all things like we are (Heb. 4:15).  Jesus left us an example that we should follow Him.  He did not sin, nor was any guilt found in His mouth (1 Peter 2:21-22).  Moses and Jesus are recognized highly for their meekness, humility, and obedience to God.

So, what is the application for us?  We must remove all lawlessness and wickedness, showing all meekness toward God.  Moreover, we must be doers of God’s Word and not just hearers.  This demands a lot of meekness and humility of heart.  God resists the proud in heart but gives grace to the humble, i.e., He will exalt us.  Therefore, we must submit to God’s will, draw near to Him, clean our hands, purify our hearts, mourn, and weep because of our sins.  That is true humility in action, just as in Jesus’ life (1 Peter 1:22).  It can be accomplished only when we humbly submit to His will and hold ourselves in low esteem.  Repentance is often associated with humbleness of self (1 Kings 21:27ff; 2 Chr. 7:13; Isa. 57:15; 1 Peter 5:5-9; Prov. 15:31-33).  

In Matt. 16:24, we find an excellent definition of  “meekness” without using the word.  To be meek is to deny self.  The selfish one says, "I want this,  I want that…. " The real meek in heart says,  “What does God want?” “Is this according to God’s will?”  The meek will always consider his will last and God’s first. The meek will do what pleases Him. So we must question everything we do in word and deed as to what effect it will have in God’s service to Him.

Obedience is humility toward God's Word.  God's Word dictates what's right and wrong and pleasing to God.  

“All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look:  he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word”  (Isa. 62:2). 

Humility to God's Word is to have an open heart that heeds His Words. Humility does not try to justify our actions or sinful habits. Instead, it conforms to the will of God and thus is transformed.  It is arrogant to think that our views always have to be correct and that we have nothing to learn.  Humility toward God's Word implies that we be willing to change our beliefs or prejudices in the light of the Scriptures.

• Accept Life’s Circumstances According to God’s Will:

The meek and humble heart will embrace persecution, abuse, mistreatment, suffering, and hardship without complaining, rebelling (against God), and doubting God's wisdom.  He will humbly accept this reality, knowing it is for God's good purposes.  Moses is one of our examples here.  Though he encountered many problems (his people complained about his poor leadership even though he was doing what God told him to do), he still submitted to the will of God. How many of us would have stood for that?  He did!  That is why he was called the meekest man on earth! (Numbers 12:1-3).

Jesus is our other example.  He was led as a sheep to be slaughtered (Acts 8:32-33; Isa. 53:7f).  Do you suppose it was hard for our Lord Jesus to go to the “slaughter"?  Did that take meekness?  What do you think?  Jesus said, "Not my will but thine be done.”  He left heaven's glory, humbled Himself, and became obedient to the point of death on the cross.  Does that not require plenty of humility and meekness?  Does that not demand humility and meekness to willingly leave all of heaven's glory to come to earth as a man and be abused as a criminal at the hands of wicked, evil men so that He might save us?  Let this sink deeply into your hearts!!

So, what is the application for us today?  Jesus is our perfect example of humility and meekness.  We must learn to submit to suffering just as He did.  Do you think you have suffered as much as our Lord and Savior did?  I doubt it!!  So, why do we find it so easy to complain and rebel against God when we have problems and trials?  We know (do we not?) that God often allows circumstances to chasten or discipline us so that we might develop our muscle of humbleness, submission to His will, and dependence on Him.  All this has but one purpose, to perfect and mature us.  It is good for us in the end.  I can assure you of that!!  So, why try so hard to control your life?  Why not choose to turn to God and trust Him?  Hardships help us to become more humble.  Why?  Because we can easily see our weaknesses, knowing that we cannot solve them on our own, so we humbly turn to our Father in Heaven for help.  

We learn to appreciate Him and see our desperate need for Him amid our trials, failings, and sufferings.  We must be grateful that He is there to rescue and deliver us from our trials and trying circumstances.  We must not blame God for all of our problems and sufferings. Some problems are caused by sin, but others just come our way by chance.  Like Job, there is no sin, but still, God allows Satan to cause us hardship.  Satan is the one responsible for many of our troubles.  God uses them to refine us of our impurities like the potter does the clay and to humble us.

In 2 Cor. 12:7-10, Paul's thorn in the flesh kept him from overly exalting himself.  Satan was the root of the problem and not God!  But God indeed allowed it to happen and remain for Paul's good. So, our trials and troubles are good for us.  They keep us from becoming proud and self-reliant.  Thank God for our trials, sufferings, and hardship!  They make us better Christians to the glory of our Father.  Hardship is good for us when we endure it with faith.  The humble and meek are aware of this fact and willingly submit to God instead of rebelling or becoming bitter or angry at Him.

• Resist Error and False Teaching With Meekness:

Some wrongly believe a meek person cannot speak up against error or sin.  Often, when one rebukes others because of sin, some think he is self-willed, stubborn, pushy, and wants to exalt himself and get his own way.  Sadly, many out there want to change the church's image because they stubbornly want to oppose an active stand against error.  They tell us, “We shouldn't be so forceful in telling people they are wrong or are sinning."  “We need to be more meek and loving.”  They refuse to acknowledge that even Moses and Jesus resisted error and false teaching.  Take, for example, Moses, who became angry at the sins of his people (Exo. 32:19,20,26-28,30).  He told them they had sinned and immediately called for disciplinary action.  Yet, he was the meekest person on the face of the earth!  This is a meek man in action!

There's not the slightest conflict between being meek and opposing error.  The conflict exists in the minds of many because they misunderstand the concept of meekness.  Jesus openly condemned the sins of the Pharisees (Matt. 15:3-9,12-14).  The Pharisees were offended.  Did Jesus apologize for rebuking them?  Not at all!  Instead, He called them blind guides, telling His disciples not to follow them.  You supposed Jesus should have apologized for not being meek enough?  In Matthew 23, Jesus rebuked them and called them hypocrites, sons of hell, blind guides, fools and blind men, whitewashed tombs or sepulchers, full of hypocrisy and lawlessness, brood of vipers.  “How shall ye escape the judgment of hell?”  These are the declarations of a meek man!! He, who said, “I am meek and lowly in heart.”  Indeed, Jesus, our Lord, was without sin.  Thus, there is no conflict between meekness and the sharp rebuke of sin, calling each sin or group by its name without any guilt whatsoever (John 8:41-47; 54-55).

So, what is the application for us?  Meekness demands that we also correct and oppose sin and false doctrine in others doing wrong (Gal. 6:1; 2 Tim. 2:24-26).  We are commanded by God to point out to them their error or wrongdoing in meekness.  Meekness leads us to point out to others their errors and wrongdoings.  Isn't it something that the same Scriptures that require us to be meek also command us to correct others as well?!  Meekness, like love, must always be exercised toward God.  Like Moses and Jesus, the meek want to see God's will be respected and obeyed, and that demands that one speak out against error or sin.  Are you meek and submitting to God's will?

II.   MEEKNESS AND HUMILITY TOWARD OTHERS:

Meekness and humility toward God are essential to pleasing Him.  That same meekness and humility lead us to be meek and humble toward others.  Meekness and humility are vital to our relationship with others.   It will require us to:

• Submit to Civil Rulers:

Men are to be subject to all manner of human authority.  In Titus 3:1-2, we are commanded to be meek (gentle) and humble toward men (verse 2).  Likewise, we are told to submit to and obey rulers and authorities.  In I Peter 2:13-15, we are told to “ be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; 14 or unto governors...”  Why shall we submit?  It is God's will.  Humbly submitting to God's Law will lead one to submit to rulers meekly.  So, why is it so hard to submit to laws?  Why would someone cheat on his taxes?  Why then disobey traffic laws?  Because we refuse to submit to what the law says and want to do what we want.  We are self-willed and unwilling to yield and deny ourselves.  Meekness and humility are necessary to avoid this attitude of heart, setting aside our will.

• Wives Are Called to Submit to Their Husbands:

Wives are called to submit to their husbands.  In 1 Peter 3:1-6, God repeatedly commands wives to be submissive to their husbands.  He also requires them to adorn themselves with a meek (gentle) and quiet spirit.  So, why do modern women, even Christian sisters, deny the concept of submission to their husbands and that a man is the head of his household?  Why are so many women unhappy and rebelling against following their husbands' headship and leadership?  I can think of a few reasons.

1. First, the husband is selfishly misusing and abusing his authority.
2. Second, as the weaker vessel, he fails to treat his wife with honor and respect (verse 7).
3. Third, some wives are stubborn and have a hard time following their husbands’ views even when the husbands are respectful.  Peter says wives should obey their husbands even when not obeying God's Word (verse 1).  How about that!    

So, why is it that women struggle with this concept of submission?  Because in a feminist world, it is humiliating to do what a man says.  Feminism has brainwashed many women into thinking their ideas are just as good as his.  Feminism says, “I've got my pride.”  “I can stand up for myself.”  But guess what?  God demands that women have a meek and quiet spirit. Meekness and humility are needed to put a stop to stubbornness and rebellion. Likewise, children must submit to their parents and employees to their employers.

• Honor Others Rather Than Exalting Self:

God commands us to practice humility and meekness toward others.  It is accomplished when we submit to each other.  Paul instructed us to submit to one another in the fear of God (Eph. 5:21). Peter said, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another”  (1 Peter 5:5).  In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul conveys this attitude of humility much better.

“3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.” 

The meek and lowly in heart consider others more important than themselves and look out for their best interests.  Our marriages will work properly when both spouses seek out each spouse's best interest.  A friendship will work well when each seeks out the other person's best interest.  A church will work rightly when each member is seeking out the best interests of others.  It is essential to grasp that our focus cannot be on ourselves but rather on the well-being and interests of others.  It is vital that we put submission into practice.  Humility yields to the interests of others.  In Romans 12:3, we have been instructed not to think more highly of self than we ought to think but to think soberly.  

“Think so as to have sound judgment.”  

So, why not be honest and realistic when evaluating oneself compared to others?  

It is easy to be deluded into thinking that we are more talented, have more abilities, have better ideas, and deserve greater honor than others. When this may not be the case. Sadly, many tend to ignore their sins or the gravity of them. So, why not admit to our weaknesses or shortcomings, especially our sins? 

Start appreciating the good qualities of others.  We have the bad habit of exaggerating our good qualities, wanting to receive credit for them.  But at the same time, we exaggerate the bad points, shortcomings, and failings of others.  The fact that others have different abilities and skills than us does not make us more important and worthy than others (verses 4,5).  Why not then give all the credit to God?  Why not soberly think as God has dealt with each one of us?  Why not give glory to God?  Remember, we are not to be wise in our own opinion.  A humble person does not focus on making a big impression on others or boasting about receiving glory and honor.  The meek associate with those they can help, even if the world does not highly exalt those people.  They rejoice and weep with others.  Some turn green with envy and jealousy and are too proud to rejoice with those who receive honor and respect.  They think they should have been the ones to be honored.  Others are too proud to empathize or feel sorry for those undergoing trials. They believe they deserve their misfortune (Luke 18:9-14; 14:7-11;16:15; Titus 3:2-3).

• Serves the Needs and Interests of Others:

The humble have learned to inconvenience themselves to help others.  They die to their own desires to help others receive what they need.  In Matt. 23:11-12, greatness is measured by service rendered to others.  Rather than being measured by how much honor and authority one possesses (verses 5-10).  The world says, “If you dominate and control others, then you are important.”  Are we really that great and worthy of being exalted?  Right?  God will only exalt us when we humble ourselves to do that which is good for others, regardless of what others think.  Service makes us great in the eyes of God.  But service requires humility.  Service is not doing good to others, so they can serve us later.  It is about doing what we know would help and please God and others.

Therefore, we should count others as more important and better than ourselves (Phil. 2:3).  “Let each of you regard one another as more important than himself.”  Others' priorities must be more important than ours.  We must learn to honor one another and respect and care for each other.  We must treat each other with respect and honor even when they don't deserve it.  God does not allow us to scorn others because of their weaknesses, failings, or because they are younger or older.  Jesus is our example of humility.  Though He was in heaven with God, in the form of God, He humbled Himself and came to earth as a man, obeying to the point of death.  Why did He do all this? To meet our needs and to be of service to us.  Let us have this mind, which is ours in Christ Jesus.  Jesus, our Lord, demonstrated this honor when He sacrificed His life for us and died on that cruel cross out of love and honor for us.  We did not deserve such a great sacrifice. And just as Christ honored us, we are to honor one another with the same self-sacrificing love.

• Help Others Overcome Sin:

Meekness requires that we not keep quiet when others sin but rather point out their errors and wrongdoings.  However, how we do this will be affected if we don't practice meekness.  

“6 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted”  (Galatians 6:1).  

Thus we must teach with compassion and self-control to restore the other person.  Our primary goal must be helping him bear his burden and fulfill the Law of Christ (Gal. 6:2).  Remember, we are trying to help and not gloat because he fell or sinned, nor to remind him we were right (exalting self over him).  We are not there to hurt his feelings (he's probably already feeling bad because of his sins); that is not what we should be seeking.  We are not there to add more fuel to his problems but to help him solve them.  Remember that everything must be done in harmony with the Word of God and with wisdom.  Our goal is to restore his soul and bring him back to God.  Let him know that.  We must be compassionate and thoughtful and let him know we care for him.

Sadly, not all sinners will be satisfied with our good manner.  Some become angry, no matter how loving and caring we are when we approach them.  Remember how much the people complained about Moses and Jesus.  We must examine ourselves to make sure we are not selfish and self-righteous or too wise in our own opinion when trying to teach and restore those who have fallen into sin.  Under no circumstances should we seek to win an argument just to prove our opponent wrong.  Let us remember we have been in the sinner's shoes before.  We have also sinned and will do so perhaps again.  We must approach the one to be restored with the same consideration that we would want others to come to us.  We must be consistent with the Word of God.  This will remove sharp or vigorous rebukes and even anger and bitterness.  I don't deny that sharp rebuke is needed at times.  It is much easier to be compassionate to others when we remember we have been in their shoes before. 

We must avoid quarrels at all costs.  Why?  Because God has commanded us to be meek and gentle when correcting our brethren and opponents.  Notice what 2 Timothy 2:24-25 has to say regarding this subject.  

“24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”  

We must remember that meekness is fundamental when teaching those taken captive by Satan.  Our primary goal is to help them repent, restore them to the flock, and rescue them from Satan's snare.  We must be helpful and have the right attitude as teachers.  We will be ineffective teachers when we have the wrong attitude and say, “I'm right. You are wrong.”  I hope you will be able to see how great meekness and humility are when we are trying to defend the Truth and correct all error and wrongdoing.  Meekness is about being kind and not quarrelsome.  It is about being longsuffering, enduring evil even though we might be right.  We must avoid quarrels!  Some argue just to keep from admitting that they are wrong.  They are not honest.  Why?  Because they don't care about one showing them the Truth but are just looking for anything to avoid conceding (accepting, acknowledging they're wrong).  Some get angry and lose self-control and say things they don't really mean at the moment but end up regretting later.  Remember, this could be you or me.  

Correcting error and teaching those antagonistic toward the Truth must be done with meekness and gentleness. When teaching about error and wrongdoing, we must grant the thought process of others. That is, not responding with insulting words, saying he is an idiot because he can't understand evil, hell, and cannot grasp the point you're trying to make.  Please, be meek and humble, and above all, be careful with your words!!  The same applies to our brethren. Why not try to put yourself in their shoes and understand the situation with great effort, reasoning with the Scriptures with all meekness and gentleness of heart?  (1 Peter 3:15).  Don't just argue without reasoning!

  

Every now and then, some people just love to repeat the same arguments over and over.  They think that by talking longer and louder, they are going to win the argument.  How silly and foolish is that!!  Use sound judgment and interrupt the discussion if you think they are not listening and are not sincerely heeding the evidence.  “Cool it,” and wait until you and they are calmer.  Teaching is not about power.  We're God's instruments to let the Light of the Word shine through.  Teach with longsuffering and forbearance (tolerance).  Humility (lowliness) and meekness lead to longsuffering (patience) and forbearance (Col. 3:12-13; Eph. 4:12). 

Knowing this, why do you get angry and lose your temper (no self-control) when trying to teach and defend the Truth?  Why not seek to be meek and humble and continue your efforts instead of giving up because the other person disobeyed God's Word?  What would have happened to you and me if God had given up on us every time we failed to do what He's taught us?  Be wise!  Why not tolerate (forbear) those things or those we don't like?  Why not suffer the personal slights of those we're teaching?  Remember not to give up and retaliate, but keep teaching the Truth!  Understand that when rebuked, most sinners will likely turn on us and find fault when we teach them. Don't quit teaching even if you're tempted to do it.  Don't give up teaching just because you're criticized!  

Indeed, it takes a meek and humble person to press on and keep on doing that which is good despite hardship.  Do you know that meekness and humility is also a characteristic of wisdom from above (James 3:17)?  Wisdom is sometimes taking a back seat to others, putting the will and interests of others above ours.  Wisdom is listening to what others say rather than being argumentative just because we think we are right.  Take heed!

• Strive for Unity, Peace, and Harmony:

“2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance (forbearance) for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”  (Eph. 4:2-3).

Humility supplies peace and unity.  How?  A humble person is willing to submit for the good of others.  He does nothing out of selfishness or empty conceit but with humility regarding others as more important than himself (Phil. 2:2-3).  On the contrary, the proud, conceited, and arrogant are too concerned about their ideas and ways.  They are not aware that this will lead to strife and division.  They are blind and unable to see that they're causing conflict when they insist on following their foolish ways and way of thinking rather than God's ways and thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9). They stubbornly insist that others accept their foolish ideas and ways.  They refuse (not willing) to concede.  This will, of course, lead to conflict.  

The meek and lowly avoid envy and are willing to yield (James 3:13-18).  Alas, how often is peace ruined because of envy and jealousy!  It is worldly and devilish!  God's wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, and without hypocrisy. The proud are also envious when others receive honor and praise.  The meek do not care to be exalted or who gets the glory as long as righteousness prevails (good is done).  They will die to themselves for the good of others.

Meekness demands doctrinal purity, as well.  To allow error to stand without challenge (correction) is not meekness.  Peace at any price leads to unity in sin. The meek will please God first.  They're willing to listen (reason) for the sake of the well-being of others, doing that which is righteous before God. Under no circumstances will they pressure anyone with their own desires and intentions to harm the church and others.  The meek are also willing to forgive rather than retaliate.  Meekness and humility are eager to forgive when others repent (Col. 3:12-13).  

The meek are aware that they, too, were sinners and are ready to forgive others as they seek God to forgive them.  Remember that God will not forgive us if we don't forgive others (Matt. 6:12ff).  So, what is it that keeps so many from forgiving others?  Why is it that we keep holding grudges even when others have repented?  Why not bless our persecutors rather than take vengeance on them?  Why try to “get even” and not make things right?  Why not make right the wrongs others have committed against us?  Why not be humble and strive for peace rather than vengeance?  Pride is the answer to all of these problems.  So, what is the cure for pride?  Meekness and humility!  

CONCLUSION:

Meekness is not weakness or lack of power.  In fact, it assumes a state of power and strength that remains under control.  Authority is exercised with gentleness, putting the interests of others above our own.  We must practice humility and gentleness when correcting our brethren and reaching the lost.  It will reflect wisdom from above that God requires of us.  We are commanded to help others in the spirit of gentleness and not use our power or strength to our own advantage. Husbands are to submit their own interests to the family's best interests.  Fathers are to humbly submit their authority to rear their children in the way of the Lord.  Wives must humbly submit their own interests to their family's best interests.  We must control ourselves with meekness and humility. The meek and humble heart is willing to receive the Word of God and allow it to mold and transform his life.

Meekness and humility toward God are essential to pleasing Him.  That same meekness and humility lead us to be meek and humble toward others.  Meekness and humility are vital to our relationship with others.  The meek and lowly consider others more important than themselves and look out for their best interests.  The humble have learned to inconvenience themselves to help others.  They die to their own desires to help others receive what they need.  In Matt. 23:11-12, greatness is measured by service rendered to others.  Rather than being measured by how much honor and authority one possesses (verses 5-10).  The world says, “If you dominate and control others, then you are important.”  Are we really that great and worthy of being exalted?  Right?  God will only exalt us when we humble ourselves to do that which is good for others, regardless of what others think.  Service makes us great in the eyes of God.  But service requires humility.  Service is not doing good to others, so they can serve us later.  It is about doing what we know would help and is pleasing to God and the other person.  Therefore, we must count others as more important and better than ourselves (Phil. 2:3).  

“Let each of you regard one another as more important than himself.”  

Others' priorities must be more important than ours.   We must learn to honor one another and respect and care for each other.  We must treat each other with respect and honor even when they don't deserve it.

May we honor others, serving their needs and interests rather than exalting ourselves.   May we never drift away from God's path because of pride.  May we never allow pride to destroy our relationships with others and especially with God. May we help others overcome sin with meekness, compassion, and self-control.  May we always show a gentle spirit, acting according to God's principles of righteousness.  May we appreciate God, trust Him, and give Him the glory rather than exalting ourselves.

Luci