Phil Rowlands

Hello, my friends!

Have you ever found yourself pondering the true meaning of meekness in your Christian walk? It's a concept that often gets misunderstood, yet it's an essential aspect of our journey with Christ. Today, let's investigate what it truly means to be meek and how it intertwines with our New Creation righteousness and the extension of mercy to others.

Friends, let's start by dispelling a common misconception: meekness is not weakness. In fact, it's quite the opposite – it's strength under control. Think about it like this: when someone criticises or provokes us, our natural instinct is to defend ourselves, isn't it? We want to justify our actions, explain our reasoning, or even strike back. But true meekness allows us to absorb that criticism without feeling the need to defend ourselves or retaliate. It's having the ability to fight back but choosing not to.

The Greek word for meekness, 'praus', paints a vivid picture for us. In non-biblical literature, it's often used to describe the taming of wild animals. Imagine a powerful horse, full of energy and strength, yet responding to the gentlest touch of the reins. That's meekness. It speaks of those whose nature might be telling them one thing, but they have learned to answer to a higher call. Isn't that a beautiful picture of our walk with Christ? Our flesh might be pulling us in one direction, but we're learning to respond to the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit instead.

Jesus himself was the perfect embodiment of meekness. In Matthew 11:28-29, He says, “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Here, Jesus invites us to learn from Him, to emulate His meekness. And the wonderful promise attached to this invitation is that in doing so, we'll find rest for our souls. Isn't that what we all long for in this bustling, demanding world?

But how do we cultivate this meekness in our lives? It's crucial to understand that it's not something we can manufacture on our own. Just as we inherited our tendency towards pride from Adam, we receive our capacity for meekness from Christ. It's a fruit of the Spirit, produced by God's grace working in us. This is why Paul lists meekness (often translated as gentleness) as one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

Friends, have you ever paused to consider why the Holy Spirit is often symbolised by a dove? It's no mere coincidence. A dove embodies tenderness, gentleness, and love – qualities that are at the very heart of true meekness. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, He begins to produce this Christ-like meekness in our hearts. It's a beautiful process of transformation, isn't it?

Now, let's shift our focus to another crucial aspect of our Christian walk: righteousness. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Notice the specific wording here. He didn't say, “Blessed are the righteous,” but rather, those who hunger and thirst for it. What a comforting thought! It's not about achieving perfect righteousness on our own, but about desiring it with all our hearts.

This hunger for righteousness isn't something we can conjure up on our own. It's a natural result of recognising our spiritual poverty (being poor in spirit) and mourning over our sin. When we truly grasp our desperate need for God's righteousness, we begin to hunger and thirst for it like a person lost in the desert craves water.

But here's where we need to be careful. Jesus gives us a stern warning in Matthew 5:20, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” At first glance, this might seem like an impossible standard. After all, the scribes and Pharisees were known for their rigorous adherence to the law. But Jesus is pointing to a different kind of righteousness altogether.

The righteousness Jesus speaks of isn't about external actions or self-produced goodness. It's not about how many rules we can keep or how “good” we can make ourselves appear. No, it's about the imputed righteousness of Christ, received by faith. This is the heart of the gospel message, and it's beautifully expressed by Paul in Romans 1:16-17: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'”

The gospel reveals God's way of righteousness – not through our own efforts, but through faith in Christ. It's not about changing ourselves, but about exchanging our sinful nature for Christ's righteous one. Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” What an incredible truth! The perfect, sinless Son of God took our sin upon Himself so that we could be clothed in His righteousness. It's a divine exchange that we could never earn or deserve.

When we truly grasp this reality, it transforms how we live. We're no longer striving to earn God's favour through our own efforts. We're not trying to rack up good deeds to outweigh our bad ones. Instead, we're working out what He has already worked in us. Our good works flow from the righteousness we've received, not in an attempt to achieve it. It's like a fruit tree – it doesn't strain and struggle to produce fruit. It simply abides in the vine, receives nourishment, and naturally bears fruit as a result.

And here's where meekness and righteousness beautifully intersect. When we understand that our righteousness comes from Christ, not ourselves, we have no need to defend or justify ourselves before others. We can be meek because we know our standing before God is secure in Christ. We don't have to prove ourselves to anyone because our worth and righteousness are found in Him.

This brings us to our final point: mercy. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). When we've experienced the incredible mercy of God in our own lives, how can we not extend that same mercy to others?

Remember the parable Jesus told about the servant who was forgiven a massive debt by his master, only to turn around and demand payment for a small debt owed to him? It illustrates the point beautifully. The more we understand the depth of God's mercy towards us, the easier it becomes to show mercy to others. When we realise that God has forgiven us a debt we could never repay, how can we withhold forgiveness from others?

Mercy, like meekness and righteousness, is not something we can manufacture on our own. It's a natural outflow of understanding God's mercy towards us. As we grow in our appreciation of God's grace and mercy, we become channels of that same mercy to others. It's like a river – the more we receive from the Source, the more we have to give to others.

Friends, this journey of growing in meekness, pursuing righteousness, and extending mercy is not always easy. There will be times when our flesh rebels, when we want to assert our rights, defend ourselves, or withhold forgiveness. In those moments, we need to remember that it's not about us – it's all about Him and what He's done for us.

We need to continually come back to the cross, to remind ourselves of the incredible love and mercy God has shown us. We need to meditate on the truth that our righteousness is found in Christ alone. And we need to yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to produce His fruit in our lives.

As we do this, we'll find ourselves growing in meekness. We'll discover a hunger and thirst for righteousness that goes beyond mere rule-keeping to a deep desire to reflect Christ's character. And we'll find ourselves extending mercy to others, even when it's difficult.

Be blessed today, my brothers and sisters. May we continually hunger and thirst for righteousness, growing in meekness and extending mercy to others as we've received it from our Heavenly Father. Let's remember that it's not about us – it's all about Him and what He's done for us. As we rest in this truth, may we find the strength to live out the beautiful life He's called us to, reflecting His character to a world in desperate need of His love.

In this journey, let's encourage one another. Let's remind each other of these truths when the going gets tough. And let's celebrate together as we see God working in our lives, transforming us more and more into the image of His Son.

Remember, dear friends, that this transformation is a lifelong process. We won't achieve perfection this side of heaven, but we can grow and mature in our faith. Each day presents new opportunities to practice meekness, to pursue righteousness, and to extend mercy. Let's embrace these opportunities, trusting in God's grace to work in and through us.

I want to leave you with this thought today: the world around us is watching. They may not read their Bibles, but they read our lives. As we grow in meekness, righteousness, and mercy, we become living testimonies to the transforming power of the gospel. Our lives become a witness to the reality of Christ in us, the hope of glory.

So, let's press on, my friends. Let's keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Let's continue to hunger and thirst for His righteousness, to grow in meekness, and to extend His mercy to others. And as we do, may we experience the deep joy and peace that comes from living in harmony with God's design for our lives.

Phil