The BeatitudesSample

Seek Meekness

Written By: Pastor Dan Hickling

“Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice . . .”—Zephaniah 2:3 (NKJV)

Meekness is one of the most misunderstood characteristics. Perhaps it’s because “meekness” sounds so similar to “weakness” . . . but we tend to get this Barney Fife—the loveable, goofy, and mild-mannered sheriff from The Andy Griffith Show, played by Don Knotts—image in our minds when meekness is mentioned.

Let the record show that meekness and weakness are quite different. As a matter of fact, a good working definition for “meekness” is “power under control.” Think of a horse rippling with muscles yet sensitive and submissive to the slightest pull of its rider. That’s a good picture of what meekness is . . . power under control

Why take the time to elaborate on that? Simply this: Unless we understand what meekness really is, we won’t be fully motivated to seek after it. If we think of it in negative terms, we won’t prioritize or pursue it. But seeing it for what it truly is, we can’t help but seek after it with all our heart.

With an understanding of the value of meekness, how do we go about seeking it? Zephaniah gives us an important insight on this point. In his prophecy, he links meekness with seeking the Lord. These truly go hand in hand, and even fuel each other.

Follow the logic: When we seek after the Lord, we draw near to Him. When we do that, we end up becoming more and more like Him. And guess what that consists of? Jesus Himself declared, “I am meek” in Matthew 11:29 (KJV). The more we seek the Lord, the meeker we become as we’re continually conformed into Christ’s image. So if we want to seek meekness, we need to seek after the Lord as Zephaniah directs us.

But it doesn’t end there. One of the traits of meekness is that it causes us to submit ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit will invariably work to connect us to Jesus on a spiritual level (Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13). The same way water always levels to the lowest point, meekness eventually leads us back to the Lord, who in turn, makes us more meek!

Is meekness something that we should all seek after? Absolutely! How do we go about seeking it? By seeking after the Lord. When we draw close to Him, we can’t help but become like Him. Becoming like Him includes meekness, which is great strength that’s under control . . . the control of the Spirit who directs our hearts back to Him.

DIG: Why is it so important to understand the proper definition of meekness?

DISCOVER: How does one seek meekness?

DISPLAY: How can you grow in your pursuit of meekness?