Day #42

James 3:13

"Who is wise and understanding among you?  By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom."

Wisdom for James is not just in the mind, but also in the way that you behave.

WOW!   Try looking up on google the definition of meekness!  It is amazing how the world views the quality of being meek... spineless, spiritless, too submissive, like an unfortunate dog abasing itself before it's master...  Even the Greeks at the time of this writing had longtime thought of this quality just the same way we do today.

Yet God, through James, communicates to us that this quality is the primary characteristic we should have.

When translating the word "MEEKNESS" in the Greek form (which is the language the New Testament is written in), we get the word... gentleness.

Read Galatians 5:23!   Remember the FRUITS of the SPIRIT?
Loving
Joyful
Peaceful
Patient
Kind
Good
Full of Faith
Self-controlling
GENTLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jesus is totally this quality.  It is what allowed people to find rest in Him.  It encouraged and strengthened them.  Hmmm... therefore do we dare to be that for others???  Gentle????

Jesus said that every Christian should have this primary virtue... MEEKNESS.

Take a look at Matthew 5:5 and Matthew 11:29.

Meekness is NOT being a coward or a door mat when others come against you.  You are a child of the LIVING GOD!!  Meekness is trusting and being set free from yourself and your way of handling things.  But, how can I display this?

TARGET of the DAY
Ask God to help you understand meekness better in the days ahead as we are studying it.