Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

For Christians in times of conflict, it is sometimes difficult to balance standing up for our faith in God’s Word with Christ’s admonition to turn the other cheek.

Can we be both bold in defending the faith and meek? Jesus was meek, but he was anything but weak or cowardly. His meekness came from his sure knowledge of who he was and is. He was strong enough, fearless enough to be gentle.

As the Apostle Paul instructed, our boldness must be tempered with patience:

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

1 Thessalonians 5:14

Some folks seem to confuse meekness with shyness. But shyness is usually the result of being self-conscious; being focused on one’s self and the impression one is making upon others. True meekness is other-consciousness; being focused on making others feel comfortable.

One of the first attributes of meekness is humility. Genuine humility is a recognition of the self-hood of others, an awareness that each person is as real and as worthy of love and respect as I am. Humility accepts the validity of another person’s thoughts and feelings.

Humility sees our own unworthiness of God’s grace and sacrificial love balanced with the knowledge of our preciousness in God’s eyes. And then we must try to see each person we encounter through God’s perspective.

That is when meekness enters one’s heart. The awe and gratitude you feel when you try to wrap your brain around the magnitude of the love of God for you, becomes meekness and humility when extended to others.

I’ve sometimes joked about being “God’s favorite child”… because I am … but we all are. That’s one of his mysteries. He loves each of us as if there were only one of us. God sees me through the filter of Christ when I accept him as my savior. That’s huge. It makes me humble and proud at the same time. But when I expand that reality to include the people I deal with it makes me meek, as well. I no longer feel that I must insist on my “rights” or take offense at slights.

True meekness is the absence of fear and competition in our relationships. It is trusting God to take care of justice and fairness. Resting on faith in his Word and his unchanging love we are free to live as inheritors of this Earth and citizens of the next.

But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psalm 37:11