HUMILITY AND MEEKNESS
By W. G. Guy
Humility and meekness are two virtues in life that God wants seen in His children. Meekness is not a weakness, it is a strength of character. Meekness is one of the Fruits of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law.
The Fruit of the Spirit is the character and nature of God that was fully manifested in Jesus Christ.
Matthew 11:29 – Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Jesus walked humbly before His Heavenly Father, being in perfect submission to Him. Jesus did nothing of His own as He daily prayed and sought direction from His Father as to what to do and even as what to say.
John 6:38 – For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
John 14:10 – Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Jesus even spent a night in prayer getting direction from God as to whom to pick to be apostles.
Luke 6:12-13 – And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
The proper work of those in ministry as Christ’s servants is to form Christ in all true believers.
Ephesians 4:11-13 – And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
The apostle Paul recognized what was his duty in Christ to do.
Galatians 3:19 – My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Jesus was not haughty or arrogant in any way, even though He is the Son of God, and the eternal king of glory. He even submitted Himself to suffer on our behalf for our sins. What He endured on our behalf was extremely contrary to His Holy life. Consider what He asked the Father while praying in the Garden:
Luke 22:41-42 – And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Since Jesus lived His life on this earth in humility and meekness, should we, who have His Spirit, with His character and nature in us, also live in humility and meekness, being in total submission to Him, and toward God, our Heavenly Father? This is what God wants of us as His children.
Micah 6:8 – He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
What does it mean to “to walk humbly with thy God? It means to walk in submission to His will; obedience, holiness and righteousness; just as God wants us to live.
Jesus spoke about the blessing of humbling oneself; just as He walked.
Matthew 18:4 – Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Philippians 2:5-9 – Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in
the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Humility and meekness is to be recognized in God’s people. This recognition is actually referred to as “glory”. Glory comes from the Greek word doxa which means “dignity”; and dignity refers to one’s character and nature. It is Christ’s glory, His character and nature, that is to be formed in us.
Colossians 1:27 – to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
The opposite of humility and meekness is pride and arrogance. Pride is a ruining force that is destructive. It is one of the lustful elements of this carnal world that opens the door to sin.
James 1:14-15 – But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
1 John 2:15-16 – Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
God’s Word warns of the consequences of pride: compare such consequences to the benefits received by those who are meek and humble.
Proverbs 8:13 – The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Proverbs 11:12 – When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly (meek) is wisdom.
Proverbs 16:18-19 – Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Proverbs 29:23 – A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
What is in your heart, the center of your being, will show what kind of a person you are, as Jesus explained:
Mark 7:20-23 – And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
There are rewards for living a humble and meek life rather than one of pride and arrogance.
Matthew 23:12 – And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Colossians 3:12 – Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
James 4:6 & 10 – But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Do not be followers, or imitators, of those who are prideful and arrogant: such as those who promote the prosperity and success doctrines. Like those who boast about how wealthy they are; those preachers who fly around in multi-million dollar jet planes; and those who live in huge houses on large estates. They are the examples of what not to be like. They have their reward: their material gain is not godliness, as they presume.
1 Timothy 6:5-8 – Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Thus instead of denying self, as Jesus said, they endeavor to exalt themselves by increasing their personal wealth and statue.
Luke 9:23 – And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Know that God provides all that we need, both now and forever.
Hebrews 13:5 – Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
God, in His mercy, has given us godly examples to follow. Jesus said:
John 13:15 – Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Do you see any of these prosperous preachers bending down to wash the feet of those who poor and beggarly? One such a preacher says he does not want to fly in a commercial airliner with the peasants, who he demeans as being filled with demons.
The apostle Paul gave himself as an example to follow; and he did not at all live like those prosperity preachers.
1 Corinthians 4:11-16 – Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
1 Corinthians 11:1 – Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
The apostle Paul then advised who not to follow because they promote what is corrupt and ungodly.
Philippians 3:17-19 – Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly (material) things.)
Please accept that meekness and humility are God given virtues that show that Christ is truly in you, and that you are a child of God, and will be lifted up to rule and reign with Him!
1 Peter 5:5-6 – Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
