Meekness: If You Don't Have It You're Nothing

Number of churches planted, how mega your church is, how many mega churches you have, big church income, big membership--everyone in church looks for these today. Everything's up-size. Everything's gauged and valued numerically and by size. Doesn't anyone look at what's in the heart anymore? Worse, meekness today is looked upon as a weakness. Everyone's out to brag. And great braggers make it to the top!

When I was among young people, there was this church denomination that started a contest. The pastor with the highest number of new members and biggest church income would be given a Php 10,000 bonus. I thought it was funny. What was this, a franchise business? Even the born again church cannot recognize greatness except numerically--anything that translates to money value.

But Jesus laid it all clear:

Unless you change and become like little children, you will never 

enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Hence, whoever takes the lowly position of this child 

is the greatest in God's Kingdom. [Matt.18.3-4]

Blessed are the meek, they will inherit the earth. Meekness is the fruit of genuine love. If you have God's love truly in you, the natural result is meekness. Meekness summarizes the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. You cannot be arrogant and possess the fruit. The arrogant and haughty cannot have God's love operating in them. If they do love, it is for self gain, for ulterior motives. And often, it is to enslave--it has a worldly tag price. Don't crave for the food of the stingy man, says Proverbs. 

Pride and arrogance terribly eat away at the Spirit's fruit [or whatever of it remains] and often leads to corruption. Thus, God can only entrust creation to the meek. They alone are designed to inherit the earth. But ironically, they don't look like earth inheritors. They have nothing to show for it, like Jesus didn't. Jesus didn't have posh church buildings, cars [or chariots], huge income, and big membership--in fact he didn't have any member [he only had disciples]. Even Pilate could not believe Jesus was king. He asked him: You are a king then? 

Whatever happens, be careful not to be found wanting in meekness any time, more so on Judgment Day. Meekness makes sure the heart is pure and clean, like Jesus' heart. You brag about nothing but God and what he does and accomplishes. Everything is God's success. Never claim anything for yourself. Yeah, this has been said over and over, even numerously heard in testimonies. But believers still attribute success half of the time to themselves. They share the glory with God.

How the Meek Judges

God should endow glory as he sees fit. Let him proclaim it on you. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." The Father endowed that on Jesus of His own volition. Jesus never proclaimed it for himself. He didn't say, "I am the Father's beloved Son and He's well pleased in me." Jesus was rigid with holiness and righteousness and denounced fiercely the religious temple leaders of his time. He would have been accused by the church today as being judgmental and self-righteous if the church had seen him do it then. 

However, he judged and denounced in true meekness because he did so only as the Father told him to. He spoke as he heard the Father speak. He did not do anything of his own decision or judgment. That is genuine meekness in ministry. Today, true prophets of God judge as they hear the Father speak. They denounce sin only as the Word of God does so. 

How the Arrogant Judges

Arrogant people judge according to man's standards, church denominational standards, to be precise, which does not come straight from the Father's mouth but only misuse bible verses to serve man's own designs. They do everything out of denominational pride, to make a name for their church, making sure their denominational name gets full credit. You see it in all the names of their local churches. One denomination's success cannot be claimed by another. The Kingdom of God is different. It's success and accomplishments can be claimed by all believers. Jesus' death on the cross, for instance, is not exclusive to any one denomination. It is claimed by all Kingdom citizens. Any believer can enter His Presence any time they want. Can you enter a denominational church premise anytime you want and preach there if you're not a member? Thus, in a genuine Kingdom success and achievement, only Jesus gets the credit. Everyone is reduced to meekness, though meekness is heaven's gauge for greatness.

The Least is Greatest

Today, no one in church believes this Kingdom principle--the least shall be the greatest. No one wants to be least. In fact, they hate being least. They're all out to make a name for themselves and their denomination. They want all the degrees and titles and mundane honor. They want to achieve this and that so they can brag about it to others. They even want their names seen or etched as marks to remind others that an achievement is attributable to them.

Frankly, almost no one is meek today in church. Look around and see if you can pinpoint an individual in your church who doesn't care about recognition and who makes it a quiet career to be meek in Christ--to be almost unnoticed and yet doing God's true will daily and every moment. Is there? If you can [with all honesty], your church is powerfully blessed with that individual because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. I've seen church folks who bring flowers to the church altar each Sunday and who feel bad if their efforts are not recognized publicly. The pastor, to appease the hurt sentiments, oblige and recognize such people on stage. They have junked meekness in the trash and favored pride by all means. They make the church a playground for immature people.

It's as good as trashing God's favorite trait in a believer and going all the way for worldly arrogance. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. But who cares in man's churches today? All they want is to be accepted in this world. And they do it for God. 

You can't go wrong with Godly meekness. Meekness comprises in simply and quietly obeying God, His Word and his will, obeying your pastor, and not making a big fuss over it all. Not comparing yourself with others. Meekness has this beauty of a gentle, graceful spirit with people, being stern about living a holy and righteous life when it comes to personal living, but being patient with others on the same. Like Jesus, meek believers are full of grace and truth.

The meek are the greatest in the Kingdom. No matter how most church people today disdain the meek [and no matter how weak or poor they seem to be], God still opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Believe it.