In a world that applauds self-assertion and dominance, meekness offers an alternate life-giving virtue. Meekness brings value through its authenticity in its likeness to Christ Jesus. Meekness brings a counter-culture perspective to self-assertion through God-centered worship and other-centered service. Meekness adds a counter-culture expression to dominance through self-control, humility, gentleness, and love.

Jesus Christ walked in great authority and power, yet He interacted with others with a meek and gentle spirit. Meekness does not equal weakness, passivity, or lack of courage. Instead, meekness is an active and targeted choice to submit our human nature to the Spirit of God, and by the Spirit of God, we cultivate Christ’s meek nature into our inner being.

5 Targeted Reasons to Cultivate Meekness

#1 Meekness is our choice to love others as God loves us.

Love is the greatest of all because God is love.

• “But now faith, hope, and love remain – these three. The greatest of these is love.” ~1 Corinthians 13:13 WEB
• “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love, begging eagerly to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” ~Ephesians 4:1-3 WEB
• “Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently, having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.” ~1 Peter 1:22-23 WEB

#2 Meekness means we trust God with our blessings and trials.

Jesus kept His eyes on His Father through His trial and persecution.

• “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” ~Luke 22:42 NASB
• “The cup which My Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” ~John 18:11b AMPC

“Christians are like houses in different stages of development. None of us are yet what we will be, but all of us will one day be complete. Learn to rejoice in every evidence of progress.” ~Colin Smith

Corrie ten Boom allowed God to use her as a Christian to minister to fellow persecuted prisoners during the Holocaust. Though most were Jews, there were Christians, Atheists, Gypsies, and many other groups suffering alongside them.

• “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” ~Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB
• “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” ~James 1:2-5 WEB

#3 Meekness is a strategic, targeted, deliberate choice to refuse provocation and exercise self-control.

Meekness is often misjudged and undervalued in today’s culture of self-assertion. Meekness represents a quiet strength rooted in love, humility, and self-control. Meekness taps into an inner strength that allows us to refuse to be “baited and hooked” by another person’s anger, egotistical boasting, or manipulations.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives within us as Believers, we choose peace, humility, and love. Love and self-control allow for effective communication that can lead to trust, conflict resolution, and the building of strong relationships.

• “One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.” ~Proverbs 16:32 WEB
• “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” ~Ecclesiastes 7:8 AMPC
• “Speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men.” ~Titus 3:2 WEB
• “But you, man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” ~1 Timothy 6:11 WEB
• “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient, when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by Him to do His will.” ~2 Timothy 2:24-26 NASB
• “For, ‘He who would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears open to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” ~1 Peter 3:10-12 WEB
• “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear, having a good conscience. Thus, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ. For it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil. Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit.” ~1 Peter 3:15-18 WEB

#4 Meekness is our choice to clothe ourselves in Christ’s nature.

Jesus spoke with kindness, gentleness, love, and hope. He walked in authority with a servant-like attitude, much like a shepherd walks in a place of authority with his sheep or a parent with their child.

Authority with a servant’s heart equals stewardship. It is walking under God’s authority while stewarding the authority and influence He grants us. It is strength under God’s control.

• “He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.” ~Psalm 25:9 AMP
• “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to bear.” ~Matthew 11:28-30 AMPC
• “Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.” ~Colossians 3:13-14 WEB
• “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness and patience of Christ.” ~2 Thessalonians 3:5 AMP
• “Your adornment must not be merely external – with interweaving and elaborate knotting of the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or [being superficially preoccupied with] dressing in expensive clothes; but let it be [the inner beauty of] the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, [one that is calm and self-controlled, not overanxious, but serene and spiritually mature] which is very precious in the sight of God.” ~1 Peter 3:3-4 AMP

#5 Meekness means we walk in God’s peace even when we experience life’s storms.

God gives us peace in the midst of chaos, quietness in the midst of turbulence, settledness in the midst of disturbance, love in the midst of hate. God is the great transformer who exchanges the mirage of the world for what is priceless – Himself.

• “But the meek [in the end] shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” ~Psalm 37:11 AMPC
• “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” ~Matthew 5:9 WEB
• “Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” ~2 Corinthians 13:11 NASB
• “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” ~James 1:5 WEB
• “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” ~James 3:17 WEB
• “In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7 WEB

The intentional, targeted cultivation of meekness leads to us choosing to love others as God has loved us, trusting God with both our blessings and our trials, refusing provocation and instead, choosing to walk in self-control, choosing to clothe ourselves in Christ’s nature, and receiving God’s peace to guard our hearts and minds even when we are experiencing life’s storms.

Recommendations

Who Do You Say I Am? – Strength with Dignity

Offense – To Be or Not to Be is the Ultimate Choice – Strength with Dignity

References

40 Important Bible Scriptures on Meekness. Published by ConnectUS on May 20, 2020. Written by Editor in Chief. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from 40 Important Bible Scriptures on Meekness – ConnectUS (connectusfund.org)

Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Amplified Bible, Classis Edition (AMPC) Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.

New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995), copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Smith, Colin. 10 Strategies for Cultivating Meekness. Published by Open the Bible on May 10, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from 10 Strategies for Cultivating Meekness – Open the Bible

World English Bible (WEB) by Public Domain. The name “World English Bible” is trademarked.