Meekness or anger
These two words are the opposite of each other. You cannot be meek and angry at the same time. As Christians is there ever a time for anger? This seems to always be the question. And there are reasons, or I should say excuses, that we always come up with. Someone may say, “Well, there is righteous indignation!” And that is true but I believe our natural nature has a hard time portraying a righteous anger. We tend to have a violent anger or a silent anger that is jabbing.
What about Jesus?
There are many people who look at the story of Jesus cleansing the temple of money changers and say, “Now there is righteous anger.” And yes I can agree. But how Christians tend to portray the story of the cleansing of the temple is a violent anger. I don’t believe that Christ did it in a violent way. I believe He did it with tears in His eyes and voice. He was sorrowing over Jerusalem. (See Luke 19:41-48)
No one feels comfortable and safe with a violent angry person, especially children. And the children were not afraid. Jesus was meek.
Matthew 21:12-16
“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?”
Anger
When I looked up anger in the Strong’s Concordance, it said anger is a natural disposition, temper, and character. It is movement or agitation of the soul, impulse desire, any violent emotion but especially anger. In the regular dictionary, one thing it said was, feeling or showing anger or strong resentment.
When I think of anger I tend to think about characteristics, like yelling, destruction, thinking of one’s self and not others. The atmosphere is anything but relaxed. There is tension and everyone feels uncomfortable. “A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.” Proverbs. 15:18
The “rewards” that come from anger reminds me of the story of Moses. God had told him to speak to the rock, for water to come forth for the people and in his anger, he struck the rock. God did not allow him to go into the Promised Land. (See Numbers 20:7-12) Our anger will keep us out of the Promised Land, Heaven.
Meekness
When I was looking up meekness in the Strong’s Concordance there were many things that I could glean but this is the one I chose. “Mildness of disposition, a gentleness of spirit. Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good and therefore without disputing or resisting.”
If we totally trust and accept His dealings we never have a reason to get angry. But it is not easy and we can’t do it without His help. When I think of meekness I think of someone who is not swayed in any way to the things that happen to them. They are on an even keel. This is what is pleasing to God. “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” 1Peter 3:4.
The rewards for meekness are worth it all. “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth” Matthew 5:5. “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” Psalms 37:11. I want to have meekness instead of anger. How about you?
In what ways can I show meekness?
When I think of meekness I think of how I answer anything with the knowledge that I have, whether it be spiritual knowledge or any other knowledge. Do I do it in a humble way, in a “know it all” way, or even in anger? “But sanctify the Lord in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing” 1Peter 3:15-17.
Dear Father,
Help us to do things with meekness. Having anger and a know it all spirit is natural to our human nature but we want You to come in and change us. Thank you for Your Grace that has the power to change us.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Surrender all to Jesus today so that He can fill you with the spirit of meekness.
Love you all.
What are your thoughts? Have you had an experience where God has given you a meek spirit? I would love to hear your story about how God has worked in your life.