The quality of meekness, the eighth in the list of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22,23, is
closely allied with several other spiritual qualities. In 1 Cor. 4:21 it is joined with love; in 2 Cor.
10:1 with gentleness; in Eph. 4:2 with humility, longsuffering, and love; in Col. 3:12 with
gentleness, humility, longsuffering, love, and peace; in 1 Tim. 6:11 with faith, love, and patience;
in 2 Tim. 2:25 with gentleness and patience; and in Titus 3:2 with gentleness.

Meekness is commonly_both in Scripture and in present day usage_linked with humility. The
Lord Jesus describes himself thus:"I am meek and lowly [or humble] in heart" (Matt. 11:29).
Humility is thinking low thoughts of oneself. It is not, as suggested by some, making ourselves
small when we are great; but rather it is esteeming ourselves small, inasmuch as we truly are
small. J. N. Darby goes even further and suggests that humility is "not thinking of ourselves at
all" (Collected Writings 12:197). This definition effectively deflates the Uriah Keeps who proudly
go about proclaiming their humility. Humility or lowliness, then, is the opposite of pride or having
high thoughts of self.

Meekness, while similar to humility, has more to do with our response and attitude toward God
and man rather than our thoughts about self. Meekness is the attitude which receives reproof or
insult or injury without defending self and without retaliating or avenging the offense. But more
than this, it is an attitude of heart which goes out to the person who may have been the offender
and seeks to draw that person back to the Lord. Meekness is the attitude implicit in the fulfilling
of Matt. 5:44 and Rom. 12:14-20:"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to
them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." "Bless
them which persecute you; bless, and curse not. . . . Recompense to no man evil for evil. . . .
Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I
will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink;
for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head."

The meekness of David is seen in his attitude toward Shimei when he cursed and threw stones at
the king (2 Sam. 16:5-13). David took this offense quietly as chastening permitted by the Lord,
and thus left it to the Lord to avenge him. Moses was declared to be a meek man (Num. 12:3),
the only one in Scripture besides Christ so labeled. This quality particularly shone out in the
instance of Miriam’s and Aaron’s complaint against him. It is beautiful to see how he not only left
it to the Lord to vindicate him before his sister and brother, but he also interceded for Miriam,
"Heal her now, O God, I beseech Thee" (Num. 12:13), when the Lord smote her with leprosy for
her sin. And the Lord Jesus Himself is no doubt the supreme Example, giving ample illustration
in His life of one who was truly "meek and lowly." For instance, "When He was reviled, [He]
reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that
judgeth righteously" (1 Peter 2:23).

When a Christian is overtaken in a fault, his spiritual brethren are exhorted to restore him in a
spirit of meekness, considering that they are liable to fall into the same, if not a worse sin (Gal.
6:1). It is only the truly meek man or woman who can effectively carry out the instruction in Matt.
18:15:"If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him

alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." In many cases, sadly, the person
offended or trespassed against completely messes up his opportunity to gain his brother by
responding to the offense in an equally offensive and sinful way.

In a similar manner, the servant of the Lord is exhorted to instruct in meekness those who oppose
the truth (2 Tim. 2:25); that is, not using techniques of ridicule, irritation, anger, or threatenings
in trying to convince the opposer.

In Titus 3:2 meekness is linked with speaking evil of no man. This is a guard against merely
putting on a proper front of longsuffering and gentleness when offended, while all the time
inwardly seething, and plotting revenge, and subsequently freely speaking evil of the offender to
all who will listen. The truly meek person will be slow to anger, quick to forgive the offender,
and anxious to seek the spiritual recovery of his brother.

Finally, there is a word to the Christian woman who is seeking to win her husband to the Lord.
"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that if any obey not the word, they
also may, without the word, be won by the conversation [or behavior] of the wives. . . . Whose
adorning … let it be … a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (1
Peter 3:1-4). No amount of gospel literature left conspicuously lying around the house, or radio
preaching (with volume turned up), or "chance" meetings between the husband and Christian
acquaintances, or verbal persuasion by the wife will have the effect of drawing the husband to
Christ as will a meek, quiet, loving, loyal, submissive, uncriticizing spirit on the part of the wife.

The Lord grant that the "spirit of meekness" be that which characterizes all of His own.

Oh, patient, spotless One!
Our hearts with meekness train,
To bear Thy yoke, and learn of Thee,
That we may rest obtain.

O fix our earnest gaze
So wholly, Lord, on Thee,
That, with Thy beauty occupied,
We elsewhere none may see.