On 'Meekness'

Another meaningful post from 2012

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I started this post a year ago. Then last April, I started it again. And now, here I am, trying for a third time. As you can guess, meekness is not my strong point.

But this time, I am determined to finish this post, because I am always reminded that Jesus is described as being meek. But when I tried to find where the word 'meek' is used in the context of Jesus, I could not find it in my Bible! The King James version still uses it (see Matthew 11:28-29), but many translations have chosen a different word (like gentle or humble) because of the modern definition of 'meek'. 

So, curious, I looked up 'meek' in my Webster's dictionary. Here is its definition:

Enduring injury with patience and without resentment,

deficient in spirit and courage, submissive, not violent or strong

And the online dictionary defined 'meek' as 

to be humbly patient or docile, overly submissive or compliant, or spiritless

Hmmm, that doesn't sound like the man who calmed storms, rebuked pharisees, and overturned tables.

Then I did some research to try to find the original Greek word for 'meek' as used in the Bible. This is what I found online:

praus- used to describe a soothing medicine, used by sailors to 

describe a gentle breeze, used by farmers to describe a broken colt

The idea, all in all, is that meekness means 'strength under control', and that the one word we have in the English language, 'meek', doesn't capture that idea.

So the picture that some people have of Jesus being spineless and weak is very wrong, and if I was to model myself after that Jesus, that also would be very wrong. Jesus, though He controls all of heaven and earth, put aside his power and glory, as described in one of my favorite Bible passages,  Philippians 2:6-8.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God 

something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- 

even death on a cross!

And what does that mean for me?

It means putting aside my desires and taming my natural tendencies. Though I can be a strong personality, I don't need to assert it to prove myself. Back in my college days, I was ready to go out into the world and wrestle life to the ground. I was certain that I could have anything I wanted, when I wanted it. But I was also self-centered and ambitious to a fault. It was my will, not God's will, that I was seeking.

Now I am constantly challenged and humbled by motherhood. I spend the bulk of my days serving children from ages one to nine, cleaning up dirty diapers, dirty dishes, and messes I didn't make. I can't have sleep, or five minutes to myself, when I want it. And I know that I don't have all the answers. But when I feel that wild horse spirit in me rearing to break free, I remind myself, choose to be meek. Choose to be the servant when I would rather not cook. Choose to be patient with the child who is screaming in anger at me. Choose to reach out in forgiveness and love. Choose to be like Jesus.