Monday; August 12

One of my favorite biblical words is “meekness”.  I believe that meekness has gotten a bad reputation for meaning weakness, but I don’t think that is the intent of the concept.  Rather than referring to an inability to do something, meekness refers to the self-control of not doing something.  I really enjoy the way that some people have described meekness as power under control and used the illustration of a bridle-led horse.  When a horse is prepared to be ridden, the trainers don’t destroy the physical ability of the powerful animal, they merely teach them to respond to the controls used by the rider.  The horse still has the ability to run fast and the muscle mass to do incredible tasks, but they use them at the direction of their owner.
A meek Christian isn’t emasculated to the point that they allow the world to overwhelm them, they merely respond to the directions of their Master.  It isn’t that they “can’t” do what everyone else can do, rather they choose to control their actions in compliance with the disciple they have been called to be.
The King James Version of the Bible quotes Jesus’ teaching as, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the kingdom of God.” while the New American Standard Bible reads, “Blessed are the gentle for they shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 5:5).  The point is the same, when we allow our natural potential to be harnessed by God, good things are going to happen for us and to the world around us.
Think About It!

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