I am a loud person. I'm in your face and bold which has been a blessing in my life and at times a bad thing because I have not been one to always take correction quietly. My mom and husband have always told me "you DO NOT have to get the last word in!" So when I read 1 Peter 3:4, "You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God" I thought UH OH! God finds a gentle and quiet spirit precious? But uh God, I am not the most quiet person. Does this not make me beautiful and precious? Is that unattractive?
It's easy to take the part that says "quiet & gentle" and think it's a physical thing. But in actuality it's talking about being meek.The more I read about being quiet and gentle the more I realized how much strength it takes to submit myself and learn to be quiet and gentle. The more I realized how much more God can use me when I am meek.
Look at Moses. Numbers 12:3 tells us that Moses was extremely humble, the MOST humble man in all the earth. God specifically chose Moses to lead the Israelites from captivity in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. Moses is also referred to as the giver of the Law because God used him to scribe the Ten Commandments. Also, Moses is the principal author of the Pentateuch, the foundational books of the entire Bible! Because Moses was meek and humble and not full of himself, there was plenty of room for God to work and use him to change the world for generations to come!
The greatest explain of meekness was Jesus Christ! The MOST powerful, influential, breathtaking, Savior of all mankind was MEEK! Matthew 11:29 says, "Place my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble..."
Think of all that Jesus did. He healed the sick, walked on water, raised the dead, etc He was the most powerful person to ever walk this earth. When he was arrested and mocked, spit on, stabbed, stripped naked, and crucified think of what he could have done. He could have ordered all powers in heaven to destroy his betrayers. But he didn't. He said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). He humbled himself to his Father's plan and died a brutal sinners death.
Y'all, meekness is not a sign of weakness.
Being meek was once described as such: "To be meek does not mean to be weak. A horse, before it is tamed, is strong but, being wild, is useless to man. After being tamed it does not lose its strength. It just becomes tamed, controlled and useful. A good definition for meekness is "strength under control".
The reason God finds a quiet and gentle spirit precious is because it is when we are meek that He can work through us in mighty ways.
I love my husband beyond words could ever describe. I want to be meek so I can be the best wife I can be for him. I want to be meek so I can continue to submit to his authority with joy. I want to be meek so I can be used by God to bless my husband in God given ways. I want to be meek so our marriage can be all God intended it to be. If I'm not meek my flesh will try to operate under the curse and I will try to rule over my husband (Genesis 3:16) which is not Gods desire.
I want to be meek for my precious son. I want him to see what it looks like to be submissive so he takes correction with joy. I want to be meek so he knows what it looks like to be humble because I believe that is the most admirable characteristic anyone especially a strong man, can have. I want to be meek so Otis sees the joy of being used by God in powerful ways.
You see, meekness was a trait Jesus so beautifully displayed and we are called to be Christ like (1 John 2:6, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Ephesians 5:1-2, Galatians 3:27).
Having a quiet and gentle spirit does not mean you can't still be loud, outgoing, fun & crazy. It simply means you understand the importance of being submissive, obedient, humble, and at peace. It means you are meek which is an incredible testament to strength!
I urge you, if you are one to always get the last word in, have trouble taking correction, are ruled by pride, have trouble submitting to authority; ask God to forgive you. I just had to do this today! It's not always easy to be meek but the more we desire to be like Christ the easier it will become a natural characteristic we desire to embody!
Your marriage depends on your meek heart. Who your children will become depend on your meek heart. The works you do for The Kingdom of God depend on being meek.
Let's be MEEK strong and mighty women!