Meekness in your heart says," I accept the circumstances in my life. I don't resent them. I don't escape them or try to resist them. I don't complain and whine. If it is something that cannot be changed then I trust that God has put it in my life for a reason."
Who among us has not wished we had a different position in life? Who among us wished we were married when we were not, or richer when we were just scraping by, or thinner when we struggled with weight? Have you looked at someone's situation and compared yours to it? The grass is always greener...
When we have meekness in our heart, we understand and accept that God has given us this life for a reason. (It serves us no good to only outwardly portray the spirit of meekness. It must start in our hearts first, in order to be pleasing to God and affect our lives positively.) Our circumstances, however hard or blessed they may be, ultimately are given to serve some purpose for the life He has planned for us. Wishing or crying about change does nothing to help us. Debating with God is self-defeating. The things we do to achieve that change may be the trials He wants us to experience and to learn from.
Your spirit of meekness, or lack thereof, also greatly affects the way you will respond the people around you. Take the conversation I just had with a grouchy woman at my bank:
Bank Representative: Can I get the card number?
*Jacks and Matty begin to yip at who knows what outside, and Southern Hubby is trying to tell me something above their barking before he walks out the door*
Me: I'm sorry, can you repeat that please?
BR: I said, 'Your CARD NUMBER! *with a very not happy to be here and talking to this dip attitude*
Now, before I started studying meekness, I would have yelled the number right back to her and the rest of the conversation would consist of both of us being in sour attitudes and giving it to each other. Once off the phone, that spirit would probably be reflected in my send-off of Southern Hubby. Depending on his mood at the time, that sourness could have stayed with him for the rest of his day. So, instead of ignoring her foulness, now three people potentially could be in a funk, instead of one. And all because I was too proud and strong to take her rudeness towards me and just let it roll off my back.
Thankfully, God sort of waved His hand in front of my face and was like, "Tada! Here's your chance to shine!" So, I didn't tell her what I really wanted to tell her. I didn't say it in the tone I really wanted to say it in. And I didn't make her feel insignificant or dumb, like I really wanted to.
Practicing meekness meant enduring her condescending attitude patiently, calmly and without any spirit of retaliation. Was that in me 100%? Absolutely not. The first few seconds I did speak with that same rudeness right back. But I stepped back and realized that that was not how I wanted my spirit to be. In the end, she got over it. Maybe it was because I continued to talk to her like a human being and with no animosity. We ended the phone cheerfully, very different than how we could have ended it had I not been meek in response to her unkindness.
"Be angry and sin not."
- Ephesians 4:26
The function of meekness in most purposes is to direct and control any anger or ill will we may harbour so that we do not sin. We can be angry. It is a natural human response. It is what we do with that anger that can lead us to sin. And, between you and me, I did not want to start my day off already on the naughty list. Do not let other's behavior control your spirit. and feelings. Let those only be governed by the Holy Spirit.
Easier said than done, I know. Believe me, I know. I'm the hot-headed firecracker, remember? But I'm beginning to use the tools given to me to fight off other's slights and am becoming a better woman because of it.
Next time, we'll talk about the things we can do to handle provokation and steps we can take to ensure that we do no sin when we are sinned against.
Happy "cool" 90's weather, all you Texans out there!
xoxo Y
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