Are You Meek?

Our culture puts a great deal of pressure on women to be physically desirable. While I believe that God is glorified when we take care of ourselves and try to look our best, physical beauty should not be esteemed higher than our inward qualities.

1 Peter 3:1-4 reads, "

Likewise, ye wives... Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

God values "the hidden man of the heart" more than "outward adorning." Our confidence can't be based on how we look. Looks fade. The bible says, "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who feels the Lord shall be praised"(Proverbs 31:30). It behooves us to turn our attention inward and cultivate the kind of spirit that God says is so valuable, a meek and quiet spirit.

How do we know where we fall on the "meekness" scale? Nancy Leigh DeMoss offers a beautiful series entitled The Beauty of Meekness. She points out that this quality is often misunderstood and mistaken for weakness; when in fact, “Meekness is an attitude of humility toward God and gentleness toward people, springing from a recognition that God is in control.” Meekness is often defined as strength under control. Nancy explains that a meek person...

...holds their peace, is obliging, has a cool spirit, is calm, is unperturbed, is yielding, gives a soft answer, is sweet, peaceable, forgiving, gentle, peaceful, composed, tolerable, quiet, patient, restrained, undisturbed, unruffled, and accommodating, submissive, bridled, swift to hear and slow to speak.

Perhaps for some, these qualities are easy to emulate when things are going your way. If we judge our meekness by those times, we may fair well. However, Nancy challenges us to think about the times that it doesn't. She asks, what happens when...

...someone criticizes you unfairly?

...someone insults your child or your mate?

...when your plans are blown by someone else’s insensitivity? They didn’t plan, and their lack of planning or their changing plans threw your plans into total disarray?

...when your authority is challenged?

...when your boss corrects you for a mistake that someone else made?

...when someone else gets credit for a great idea that you had?

...when somebody cuts you off in traffic?

...when the person in the express grocery lane has 37 items in their buggy?

...when somebody takes advantage of you, rips you off financially?

...when an authority makes what you consider a poor or unwise decision, and it impacts you and your family?

Its during these very times that God wants us to have a meek and quiet spirit. The world does not value meekness; however, Jesus was meek (Matthew 11:28-30). When we are being meek, we are being like Jesus.

Meekness goes against the cultural tide as well as our sinful nature. It is something I have to continually keep before God. Meekness is not for wimps! Actually, "...it requires just the opposite of that weak, spineless, mousy personality to have true biblical meekness...It takes courage. It takes enormous strength and grace and faith to be a meek woman, and a meek woman is one who has great power and influence in our world and in the world around her"(DeMoss, The Beauty of Meekness 6/19/09).