(Mat 11:28-30) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. {29} Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. {30} For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Jesus chose the terms, “meek and lowly” to describe His heart while on this earth dwelling among mankind. He said that how we understand this and come to Him we will be granted rest and we will also find rest to our souls.
We tend to think of meek as weak, but that is a false conception of the word. Jesus was meek but He was far from being weak. Meekness of disposition is a full surrender to God’s will. It is gentleness in us – the Holy Spirit, while possessing the power of God, is gentle toward all who He calls to salvation. He will not force His will upon any soul who does not desire to seek God’s forgiveness and surrender to Him. – He is a complete Gentleman. Meekness involves the yielding of rights to God and not fighting for them. So many today fight and sue to attain their rights. There may be times that it is necessary to seek legal means but too often Christians do not surrender their rights to God but fight and fuss to get their way. Meekness is placing our strength under God’s control. Jesus exampled this when He was arrested in the garden. Peter tried to fight for Him, but Jesus said, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” He had the power to summon a host of angels to deliver Him and destroy those coming to arrest Him and deliver Him to be tried and eventually killed, but He placed His power under the control of God and surrendered to God’s will.
Jesus also used lowly to describe His heart. Lowly is humble, of low estate, the opposite of pride. True lowliness does not think itself too highly. Some people think they are better than any others today as well as those of the past. Meekness functions out of a lowly heart. Lowliness accepts the assessment of God about us – we are sinners and our righteousness is as filthy rags. Jesus said that those who would be the chiefest must become the servant of all first – the way up with God is first down.
Jesus laid aside His glory to become man – “ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: {7} But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: {8} And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Jesus chose these words to describe Himself because there is war in heaven and all around – the devil who is proud and desires to be God and between Jesus who is God and became man in order to save mankind from sin and eternal damnation. The devil tempted Eve with the idea of being God and he tempts people today to be “their own boss”. Don’t be a Christian puppet, but do your own thing and have fun. We try to bring God down to our level and remake Him after our own ideas. But God is high and lofty and He says, “ For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit”
If we would develop a meek and lowly heart we must first recognize the pride in us and confess it to God, then seek forgiveness for what we have done out of that pride. Then seek to have our pride cleansed by the Holy Spirit and given a new heart like unto Jesus – meek and lowly. Submit to the authority figures God has placed over you – children and teens this means your parents. Do not reject criticism from others, God may be using this to humble you and test you. Do not justify your wrong actions by blaming others, for example: “I wouldn’t get mad if you would be nicer.” Give thanks in all things. Be humbled by the creation all around us -- (Psa 8:3-4) When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; {4} What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
We are but a speck of dust in this universe, but God loves and cares for us enough to allow Jesus to die for our sin – that is very humbling.