Meekness is often confused for weakness, but this week Leslie shares about how the beautiful quality of meekness in a woman’s life is not based on personality but cultivated by the Spirit of God within a surrendered heart. Pulling back the misconceptions surrounding inner beauty and meekness, discover practical ways to grow in the beauty of a meek and gentle spirit.
PODCAST TRANSCRIPT
Meekness is a quality of inner beauty that is often misunderstood or labeled as containing a shy, quiet, or weak personality. In order to fully understand what meekness actually is, it helps to have the correct view of inner beauty. Inner beauty can often seem like an illusive concept in today’s world. In a nutshell, inner beauty is when we look to Christ and let His qualities and nature transform us from the inside out.
1 Peter 3:4 mentions that godly women are to possess “the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” The word “gentle” is also translated as “meek.” Meekness has nothing to do with being mousy, somber, or overly serious but everything to do with possessing the humility and gentleness that Christ displayed when He was here on earth. Humility may not come naturally for any of us, but our lives will only bear eternal fruit when we follow in the dusty footprints of our Lord.
True meekness is not timidity but exudes a quiet strength of one who is fully surrendered to her Father’s will. Meekness is not a natural inborn quality or a personality trait. Rather, it is an inner character quality that is forged by the Spirit of God. The spirit of meekness cries, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
Practical Ways to Cultivate Meekness
- Submit to God and ask for His help to work meekness into your heart and life.
- Purposefully seek to serve lowest place. (See Matthew 20:26-28; Proverbs 15:33.)
- Serve those who cannot repay you. (See Matthew 25:37-40.)
- Give in secret. (See Matthew 6:3-4.)
- Answer gently when wronged. (See Proverbs 15:1.)
- Practice daily surrender to God. (See Romans 12:1-2.)
Final Thoughts
Meekness has nothing to do with personality but everything to do with a quietly yielded heart. Charm and self-promotion will fade away but the incorruptible beauty of a meek and quiet spirit will last throughout eternity. When the model of your soul becomes, “Not my will, but Yours be done,” you will see that…
Key Scriptures
1 Peter 3:4
Matthew 5:5
Recommended Resources
This year Leslie is talking about how to stand unashamed for Christ in this culture at our 10th annual Set Apart Conference. We would love to see you there and spend a weekend pursuing Jesus together! Learn more here.
