Matthew 5:5, 11:29
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. – Matthew 5:5
Click to read passage
We are moving through the Beatitudes, and today we arrive at a word that our modern world misunderstands and instantly pushes back – “”meekness.””
Our society tells us that to win, you must be loud, aggressive, self-assertive, and ready to trample over others to protect your position. To the world, “”meekness”” sounds like weakness. It sounds like being a doormat, being passive, or letting people walk all over you. The world says: blessed are the aggressive, blessed are the self-promoters, and blessed are those who fight dirty to get ahead.
But in the original language of the New Testament, the word Jesus uses for meekness is praus. In the biblical context, this is the exact term used to describe a wild stallion that had been successfully tamed and trained.
Imagine a magnificent wild stallion running free. It is a breathtaking picture of raw, explosive power and untamed speed. Left wild, its strength is chaotic, unpredictable, and potentially destructive. It answers no one.
But look at that same stallion in the hands of a master trainer. Through disciplined training, it learns to respond to the slightest tug of the rein. The horse hasn’t been weakened; its speed hasn’t been drained, and its fierce spirit isn’t broken. Instead, that immense power has been channeled and brought under control. It is vast strength, perfectly submitted to the will of its master.
This image is the definition of what biblical meekness is – power under control.
Meekness is NOT weakness. Meekness is power under control. It is the strength of a powerful stallion choosing to submit to the rein. It is having the power to retaliate, the position to crush your critic, and the sharp words to destroy someone who wronged you—but choosing to hold it back. Why? Because our strength is no longer driven by our fragile ego, to prove who we are; it is entirely submitted to the hand of our Master.
The radical truth of this Kingdom is that the truly strong do not need to prove and assert themselves.
Reflection:
First, look at your calendar and your worries for the rest of this Thursday. Where are you currently feeling the frantic pressure to assert yourself, prove you are right, or fight aggressively to protect your reputation? What would it look like to submit your situation to Jesus and let Him rein in your spirit today? Second, think about your words. Is your strength currently coming out as harshness towards your family, your colleagues, or those under your leadership? How can you channel your power into gentleness today, trusting that God is the one who vindicates you?
Let us pray:
Jesus, we confess that our hearts are often loud, defensive, and desperate to prove our own strength. Forgive us for buying into the world’s lie that gentleness is weakness. We ask that You would tame our spirits. Like a master trainer, place Your reins upon our hearts. Give us the supernatural strength to hold back our harsh words, to lay down our need to always win, and to operate in true, biblical meekness. Remind our anxious hearts today that because You hold our future, we have absolutely nothing to prove. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Click to read passage
We are moving through the Beatitudes, and today we arrive at a word that our modern world misunderstands and instantly pushes back – “”meekness.””
Our society tells us that to win, you must be loud, aggressive, self-assertive, and ready to trample over others to protect your position. To the world, “”meekness”” sounds like weakness. It sounds like being a doormat, being passive, or letting people walk all over you. The world says: blessed are the aggressive, blessed are the self-promoters, and blessed are those who fight dirty to get ahead.
But in the original language of the New Testament, the word Jesus uses for meekness is praus. In the biblical context, this is the exact term used to describe a wild stallion that had been successfully tamed and trained.
Imagine a magnificent wild stallion running free. It is a breathtaking picture of raw, explosive power and untamed speed. Left wild, its strength is chaotic, unpredictable, and potentially destructive. It answers no one.
But look at that same stallion in the hands of a master trainer. Through disciplined training, it learns to respond to the slightest tug of the rein. The horse hasn’t been weakened; its speed hasn’t been drained, and its fierce spirit isn’t broken. Instead, that immense power has been channeled and brought under control. It is vast strength, perfectly submitted to the will of its master.
This image is the definition of what biblical meekness is – power under control.
Meekness is NOT weakness. Meekness is power under control. It is the strength of a powerful stallion choosing to submit to the rein. It is having the power to retaliate, the position to crush your critic, and the sharp words to destroy someone who wronged you—but choosing to hold it back. Why? Because our strength is no longer driven by our fragile ego, to prove who we are; it is entirely submitted to the hand of our Master.
The radical truth of this Kingdom is that the truly strong do not need to prove and assert themselves.
Reflection:
First, look at your calendar and your worries for the rest of this Thursday. Where are you currently feeling the frantic pressure to assert yourself, prove you are right, or fight aggressively to protect your reputation? What would it look like to submit your situation to Jesus and let Him rein in your spirit today? Second, think about your words. Is your strength currently coming out as harshness towards your family, your colleagues, or those under your leadership? How can you channel your power into gentleness today, trusting that God is the one who vindicates you?
Let us pray:
Jesus, we confess that our hearts are often loud, defensive, and desperate to prove our own strength. Forgive us for buying into the world’s lie that gentleness is weakness. We ask that You would tame our spirits. Like a master trainer, place Your reins upon our hearts. Give us the supernatural strength to hold back our harsh words, to lay down our need to always win, and to operate in true, biblical meekness. Remind our anxious hearts today that because You hold our future, we have absolutely nothing to prove. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.