Fruit Inspection Pt. 8 (Meekness)

In a world that celebrates assertiveness, dominance, and self-promotion, there's a spiritual quality that gets tragically misunderstood: meekness. Far from being weakness, meekness represents one of the most powerful character traits a believer can develop—it's strength under the control of the Holy Spirit.

When we hear the word "meek," many of us picture someone who's timid, passive, or easily pushed around. But biblical meekness is something entirely different. It's the attitude or demeanor of a person who remains in control of themselves in the face of insults or injuries. It's the ability to absorb adversity and criticism without lashing out, to listen instead of arguing, and to yield instead of demanding. Jesus Himself said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). This isn't a promise to the weak—it's a promise to those who have learned to surrender their emotions, reactions, and responses to God's control.

Meekness doesn't appear overnight. It's one of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, and like all spiritual fruit, it requires intentional cultivation. The challenge many believers face is that these fruits build upon one another. You can't fully develop meekness without first developing in love, because the love of God—the kind that doesn't keep a record of wrongs—helps you stay in control when others provoke you.

Think about how you respond when someone criticizes you. Do you immediately defend yourself? Do you lash out? Do you retreat into hurt and silence? Your response reveals how developed you are in this crucial fruit.

James 1:21 tells us to "receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls"—your mind, will, and emotions. A person operating in meekness is always open to receive truth. They don't resist correction; they accept it. They have an attitude that says, "I can be wrong. I don't know everything. I'm open to listen."

Several things can steal meekness from our lives:

Pride is perhaps the greatest thief. Proverbs 16 warns us that pride comes before a fall—the bigger your ego, the harder you'll crash. When we think we know everything, when we refuse to submit, when we make it all about our will instead of God's will, we're operating in pride. And pride refuses to be teachable.

Unhealed hurt is another major obstacle. When we carry pain from past wounds, we either respond harshly or we don't respond at all. We become guarded, defensive, critical. Psalm 34:17-18 reminds us that "the Lord is close to those whose hearts have been broken. He rescues those whose spirits are crushed." Developing meekness requires a surrendered heart to God—the only One who can truly heal our wounds.

The tradition of men—doing things our own way because "that's how we've always done it"—can also nullify the word of God in our lives. Mark 7:7-9 records Jesus confronting this issue: we can disregard God's commands while clinging to human traditions and regulations. When we refuse to be stretched, challenged, or corrected by God's word because we're comfortable with our own methods, we're blocking spiritual growth.

Numbers 12 gives us a powerful picture of meekness in action. Moses had married an Ethiopian woman, and his own siblings—Miriam and Aaron—spoke against him because of it. They questioned his leadership, essentially saying, "Does God only speak through Moses? Doesn't He speak through us too?"  Here's what's remarkable: Moses didn't respond. He didn't defend himself. He didn't argue or lash out. The Bible tells us that "Moses was the meekest man on the face of the earth" at that time. And because Moses was meek, God fought his battle for him. God Himself spoke up and dealt with Miriam and Aaron. Moses positioned himself to comply with God, not to defend himself. He let his character speak, not his personality. This is the power of meekness—when you're developed in this fruit, you don't have to fight every battle. God becomes your defense.

If we want to develop in meekness, we must study Jesus. He is our ultimate example—the only person who walked this earth perfectly. Hebrews tells us He was tempted in all points just as we are, yet He never sinned.

Matthew 11:29 records Jesus' own words: "Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle, I am meek, I am humble in my heart, and you will find rest." When we become humble and gentle in heart, we find relief, ease, and refreshment for our souls—our mind, will, and emotions. Take time to study how Jesus dealt with betrayal. How He responded to criticism. How He acted when people talked about Him and misunderstood Him. His responses provide the blueprint for developing this fruit.

Prioritize peace over pride. Proverbs 9 encourages us to embrace correction: "Give instructions to a wise man, and he will be even wiser. Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning." We must wear correction the same way we put on clothes—as a daily necessity.

Practice self-control. Notice it's self-control, not someone-else-control. You are responsible for managing your own responses, attitudes, and actions. When the Holy Spirit prompts you to do something—even something as simple as throwing away candy that's affecting your health—obey immediately. Don't delay. Obedience in small things prepares you for obedience in larger matters.  Don't abandon spiritual laws when you don't see immediate results.Spiritual development takes time. It's like hammering a nail—you don't expect it to go all the way in with one strike. You keep striking with the word, keep applying the principles, keep drawing near to God until you see the completion of what you're believing for.

Here's a truth that might stretch you: the invisible spiritual realm is more real than the natural realm we see with our eyes. It's all around us, but we can't perceive it when we're walking in the flesh. The deeper things of God, the ability to handle spiritual matters and deal with spiritual enemies—these require us to come up out of carnality.  You cannot handle God's enemies if you're still carnal. You cannot deal effectively with demonic forces if you're being used by them yourself through open doors of sin and disobedience.  This is why developing the fruit of meekness—and all the fruits of the Spirit—isn't optional for believers who want to operate in spiritual authority. It's essential.

Meekness is ultimately a choice. Every single day, we must allow God to be in control of our emotions. We must choose to yield instead of demand. We must choose to listen instead of argue. We must choose to serve instead of insisting on being served.

Biblical meekness is knowing that God is for you. It's trusting Him enough to let go of control, to stop defending yourself, to release the need to be right. It's understanding that your character—who you really are on the inside—matters infinitely more than your personality or your reputation.

The question isn't whether God is calling you to develop in meekness. He is. The question is whether you'll cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He works to produce this fruit in your life. Will you embrace correction? Will you remain teachable? Will you study Jesus and follow His example?

The reward is worth it: those who are meek will inherit the earth. They'll find rest for their souls. They'll walk in blessing and discover that God Himself fights their battles. That's not weakness. That's the hidden strength of meekness—power under divine control.