MEEK ≠ WEAK

The word meek has become badly misunderstood.

In modern English, meek can sound like passive, timid, spineless, or easily dominated. But the biblical picture is considerably richer.

Jesus Himself says:

“Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart.”

Yet this is the same Jesus who confronted hypocrisy, overturned tables in the temple, endured torture without surrendering His mission, and declared that He could summon heavenly armies if He chose.

The biblical Jesus is therefore not a picture of weakness.

He is the picture of perfectly governed strength.

That gives us the central proposition of this study:

MEEKNESS IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF STRENGTH.

MEEKNESS IS STRENGTH SUBMITTED TO GOD.

The goal isn’t to recover some romanticized version of “manliness.”

The goal is to recover the biblical man:

A man who works.
A man who takes responsibility.
A man who serves.
A man who protects and shows restraint when needed.
A man who can endure hardship without becoming bitter.
A man who can exercise strength without being controlled by anger.
A man who can stand firm without needing to dominate everyone around him.
A man whose identity is ultimately found in Jesus Christ.

THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTITY.

At some point, we all run into the great question of all humanity. “Who am I?” and “What is my purpose?” And justly so. Without an understanding of who you are and who you were created to be, you cannot find peace in life, and all of it can and will feel meaningless.

Most societies around the world find personal identity in what they do. Whether it be their profession or hobbies. Or in their relationship with others, whether they are a husband, father, or a son. The titles they hold. Or the actions they take.

But what if I told you that isn’t who you truly are? And what you do isn’t your purpose. Think about it as you go through the study. Ask God to reveal who you are and why he made you.