Let your meekness be known to all men.

The above exhortation comes from the book of Philippians chapter 4 verse 5. NKJV translation says “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand”.

The previous verse 4, is the well-known exhortation from the Apostle Paul “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say Rejoice”.

Then he goes on to say, “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.

I was pondering the sequence of these scriptures in Chapter 4.

Rejoice in the Lord – let your gentleness (meekness) be known (shown) to all men – be anxious for nothing – pray with thanksgiving – and the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ. Paul turns his focus to what the mindset and attitude of Christians should be, taking delight and satisfaction in walking with the Lord, trusting Him in every circumstance of our lives.

The Apostle Paul wrote these words when he was in prison. What a witness he must have been to those around him; that he could show gentleness to those around him in those hard times.

I am challenged when I think on this and I am so grateful that the powerful Holy Spirit has come to help us to walk as Jesus walked, to be His representatives in the earth today. One preacher said that the fruit of the Spirit are mighty forces in the spirit realm. Meekness has been called ‘bridled strength’. It does not mean that one is weak, timid, or spineless. It means that your strength is now under somebody else’s authority. Meekness is when we are strong enough to surrender control of our life over to God.

Meekness or gentleness is listed in the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. Therefore these attributes are deposited in our spirit when we invite our Lord and Friend into our hearts and His Spirit comes in dwell in us. It’s an attitude or quality of heart.

Our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 11 verse 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”. Our Lord and Friend shows us by example the way to walk and find rest for our souls. What an amazing God He is. He desires that we walk and live, resting in Him.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you. Kath.