October 13, 2011 · 10:01 pm

The Queen is dead…long live the Queen.

Well…it happened.  It happened on a beautiful late summer’s morning, right around Labor Day.  I knew that when she finally died it would be on a beautiful late summer’s morning.  She loved dry weather and she would have loved that day, had she lived to enjoy it.

We were outside in the back yard by the patio and she…she just wouldn’t start.

I did everything I could for her.  I pressed the fuel primer six times…then another, and even another.  I pulled that starter rope again and again until my arm ached, and then I pulled with the other arm.  I checked her spark plug, even though I knew it had less than 3 hours on it.  I did everything I knew to do, but nothing worked.  She was too old and too tired to go on.  She sat there, still and quiet…her engine cold, totally at rest.  I just stood there, numb and angry and sad all at the same time.

She's not cheap. She's...easy to purchase.

Time was short, the grass was long and I was empty inside.  They tell you to wait a spell, let things settle before jumping in again, but I couldn’t wait.  They said I should take my time, look around, don’t rush things, but I couldn’t.  I wouldn’t.  The void was too deep, my need too great.

The next day I did my shopping on-line and found a 21-inch Craftsman.  It has a 158 cc Briggs and Stratton motor.  I don’t know what that is in horsepower.  Apparently, no one but me cares about horsepower anymore.  I was going to drive to Sears but there I was, sitting at my computer, and the next thing I knew I had ordered it.  Yes, I ORDERED one!  There was no courtship, no real introduction: just a bunch of professionally taken pictures and the typical come-ons.  “SMOOTH START!”  “DUAL-POINT DECK HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT!”  “SPECIAL LABOR DAY SALE PRICE!” And the one that finally swayed me: “FREE SHIPPING!”  It all felt so clinical and impersonal.

She came to me by UPS.  Dear Lord…UPS!!  I didn’t even get to pick her up.  Some stranger in a dark brown shirt and matching trousers dumped her at my door in a big cardboard box while I was GONE!  I don’t know how long she’d been there.

I pulled her into the garage and put her together.  I was nervous, worried I’d do something wrong, but she was accommodating and assembly felt intuitive…natural, even.

I stood there, looking at her.  She was spotless, shiny new.  No holes in her deck, no rips in her grass catcher.  She doesn’t have a throttle control!  Now that put me off, let me tell you.  I filled her gas tank, put in the oil that came with her (I was impressed) and rolled her into the front yard.  I thought about starting in the back yard, but I confess the idea of showing her off appealed to me.  I know, I know…don’t judge me.

I followed the directions, which instructed me to press the fuel primer bulb 5 times for the initial starting.  Five times: one less than it used to take with…  I pushed the memory away and pushed the primer.  One, two, three, four, five.  I grabbed the handle, depressing the safety bar and pulled the starter rope by its pristine plastic handle…no scrap wood and duct tape here.  She started with the first pull and I couldn’t help but smile.

She glided with the grace of a nubile princess on a dance floor.  No hiccups, no coughs, and no missteps: pure lawn mower magic, and I was quickly lost in her perfection.  I looked to my left at the freshly cut swath and nearly swooned at the extreme evenness, the manicured appearance of my lawn.  I glanced behind me at what should have been large clumps of cut grass too heavy to be drawn into the bag… and there were none.  I stopped and stared, then studied the short grass behind me, searching for even a solo slice of cut grass and could not find one…not one!  My reluctant smile became a big grin.  I walked faster and she never noticed, the cut still perfect, the lawn still free of any sign of loose grass clippings.

When I finished the lawn, I checked her oil level.  It hadn’t budged!  Not one drop!  I checked again, and a third time, with the same results.  Just for fun, I checked the gasoline and found it nearly full.  For the first time in a long, long time, I got an old rag, a towel and some warm water and I washed my mower before putting her away.

That night, I disassembled my old, faithful mower carefully.  Handlebars, discharge bag and old, rusted-through deck: oh, what a good mower she had been.  I asked my wife what she thought about making her part of our back yard décor…a planter, a bird bath, maybe some kind of fun new swing set accessory for the kids.

The old mower fit perfectly into my big trash bin.

The new mower looks almost out-of-place in that old, rusty shed with the missing doors.  Of course, that shed’s served us well, been with us for over 20 years; it came with the house.

Still, though…

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September 7, 2011 · 12:32 pm

If I Could Say Anything without Consequence

Chubby Cheerleader

fat guy

I'd probably find that mean cheerleader from 7th grade and tell her she really didn't have any reason to be so snooty. I mean, she was chubby and not attractive at all, inside or out. I always wanted to tell her, but that would have been social suicide. No worries now, though. You know who you are, chubbo. If you would have been NICER back then, you wouldn't have me mentioning this, would you now? Yeah, that's right. *sigh*…51 years old and still ticked off at a chubby cheerleader. Wow. I wonder if therapy is really that expensive?

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August 29, 2011 · 9:23 pm

Being Captivated…and Taking Captives

(These are simply some ‘polished’ ideas from notes I jotted while studying and meditating on 2 Corinthians 10:2-5 one night after our men’s study at Broadway Christian Church.  Thanks to Dana Collins for bringing this amazing scripture to my mind and heart again).

Thoughts on:

2 CORINTHIANS 10:2-5 (NIV, KJV, NAS)  

I posted three translations for your comparison:

NIV:

2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  

KJV:

2But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

NAS:

2 I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but [a]divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

This is the verse that really grabbed a hold of me:

Vs. 5 “Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God”.

Let’s look at the definition of that word imagination:

i-mag-i-na-tion (noun)

  1. ability to visualize
  2. creative part of the mind
  3. resourcefulness
  4. creative act

WOW!  We know the power of our imagination, yes?  Our ability to visualize whatever we want is amazing, isn’t it?  Our thoughts run all over the place, pulling us along as if they were dogs on leashes.  When they start to run, they don’t hear, see or notice much of anything else: only their hunger matters and it is placed above every other consideration.

We hold on and allow ourselves to be pulled, all the while pretending we have control because, after all, we OWN our thoughts…and they’re on a leash.

I think the belief that the ‘leash’ by which we try to restrain our thoughts is enough is one of the biggest lies the enemy uses to mislead us, and we eat it up hook, line and sinker.  We tell ourselves, “I can handle it.  It’s not an addiction, it’s just something I enjoy occasionally”.  Read Romans 3.  If you’ve ever thought it ridiculous that congress gets to vote on their own pay raise then you know how silly it is to expect our flesh alone to be effective at self-policing.

Ever tell yourself that something doesn’t really affect you like it would someone else because your spiritual walk is stronger?  Uh-huh.  I have, and that was plain and simple bovine excrement.  There’s no way to justify that kind of backwards thinking and we both know this, right?  Besides: the belief that spiritual maturity / strength gives us a license to engage in sinful activity because we can ‘handle it’ is simply the act of someone looking to hold onto a sin that he or she finds more pleasing than obeying God.   I know, that’s pretty pointed, but I’m talking from personal experience.  I’ve tried all the tricks, including the ‘I’m covered by grace so it’s cool’.  Grace isn’t a substitute for a changed heart and it was never intended to be a smoke screen used to hide a tree that’s barren of spiritual fruit.  Remember Romans 6?  Yeah, I went there.

I threw in the definition of captive, too:

cap-tive (noun)

  1. prisoner
  2. somebody dominated by emotion

cap-tive (adjective)

  1. unable to escape
  2. forced to use or accept something

(Detour: You know, #2 shifted my brain into gear and made it more clear what it means to be captivated by someone).

There is a difference in having a dog on a leash and actually making it obedient.  If he’s leading you, he’s not trained and he’s definitely not a captive, is he?  So…what do we do to stop this raging beast from dragging us into places we KNOW we shouldn’t go?

vs. 3: For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 

THAT’S the good stuff I’m looking for: the truth that tells me I’m not subject to earthly limitations when it comes to choosing a weapon to fight these strongholds.  I think this is a reminder that while the world offers a host of ‘cures’ and solutions, the only true, lasting change occurs when God’s power is applied.  Man hands me a leash and tells me to pull hard.  Well, man also introduced disco and purchased millions of pet rocks back in the ‘70’s.  Is that the think tank you wanna dip into?  Really?  But what would God have me do?  Listen to what Paul had said earlier in his letters to the church at Corinth:

2 Corinthians 2:14:

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Now I’m wondering: maybe I’m supposed to hand the leash over to Christ?  It sounds like God wants me to become His captive (prisoner): to become captivated by Him.  Is it MY triumph?  Nuh-uh.  Christ conquered sin and death.  We know that it’s only the power of His blood, the love of our God that can change us:

Romans 12:1-2:

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Titus 3:4-7:

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Ephesians 4:20-24:

20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Pray:

“Father God in heaven, peel my fingers from any leash that leads me away from You.  Please, Father, teach me to turn my eyes away from the stuff that rusts, dies, fades and lies.  I don’t want to soil Your perfect gift with second-hand junk anymore.  Continue to reveal Your glory, that I may become captivated by You and You alone.  Let nothing else satisfy me.”  Amen


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· 6:58 pm

Still excites me after 20+ years

You know, I don’t even remember our initial meeting.  I was just a man with a need and she needed a place to stay.  It wasn’t anything more than that.  Sure, I checked out plenty of others before she caught my eye.  Actually, I wouldn’t even say she caught my eye.  I mean, let’s face it: the new ones always grab your attention.  Maybe it’s the thought that as long as you’ve got the right amount of cash you can take one home, or the idea that you decide when and where without any argument.  All I know is she was there, I needed her and the price was right, so I took her home.

That was over 20 years ago and she’s still with me.  She’s never refused me.  She’s been so faithful, through thick and thin.  No matter how I’ve neglected her, she still warms up to me with just a little coaxing.

She’s a little worn now.  Ok, the truth is she’s a LOT worn now.  But I still get a thrill every time I go out to the shed and fill her with gas and oil, pull the rope and hear her roar to life.  She’s missing pretty bad now, smokes a bit and uses as much oil as gas, but my old Craftsman 3.5 hp. 20-inch mower starts within two pulls every time, and usually with just one.

I should replace her.  I’ve replaced the pull handle with a piece of wood.  It shamed me to do it, but I couldn’t justify spending the money on a brand new part.  What’s the chance of finding a new handle for a 20-year old mower?  And if I found one, it’d cost more than she’s worth.  Do I sound cold?  I’m being realistic.  Oh, I’d never tell her that.  She deserves better from me.  All the times I’ve used her to mulch leaves, garden debris and so much more.  She never complained, never quit.  She just….kept goin’.

We know each other.  I know 5 pushes on the primer won’t do: it has to be 6.  I know not to wonder if she needs oil.  We’re past that.  I KNOW she needs oil every time I take her out of the shed.  I don’t give her a bath anymore.  The oil-soaked grime has become an adhesive that holds the remaining loose, bubbling paint in place.  Small tufts of grass poke through holes in the deck like unwanted whiskers on a great aunt’s chin.  I won’t scrape them away: they’re plugging small holes.  Even the flaws others would call ugly have become endearments for me.

There will come a season when I’ll pull her from the shed and…and she won’t start.  The oil change, the new spark plug, the clean air filter: nothing will work and that’ll be the end of her.  I’ll have to get a new mower.  I’ll have to.

I’ll tell you something, though.  No mower could replace her.  And I won’t go for some self-propelled liquid-cooled self-mulching job, either.  Just give me a good engine and a bag that catches the clippings.  That’s all the mower any man needs.  She proved it to me.  That’s all I got to say about that.

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July 14, 2011 · 1:29 am

THE JOY OF LEANING

I wrap my arms around my wife and she stands perfectly still, her arms pinned to her sides.  Holding her tightly, I take a huuuuge step to the left.  Keeping her feet together, she lets me ‘lean’ her whole body, squealing and giggling as the incline increases.  I bring her up and head in the opposite direction and she squeals and giggles again.  Her joy’s infectious and I giggle, too.  Of course, the fact that my Heidi Ann is so cute when she giggles doesn’t hurt, or that her eyes sparkle and dance like sunlight on still water when she’s joyful.  But there I go running after

Heidi and Ainsley: a.k.a. "Peas and Carrots"

another distractingly shiny thought when I should be telling my story.

This is our leaning game.  The thrill of simply letting her body fall to one side or the other as I hold her is fun and exciting to her.  Now what does it create in her that would cause such a reaction?  After all, it’s unnatural.  Letting yourself fall is plain wrong.  It’s against our inborn self-preservation reflex.  As you begin to lean beyond that invisible line where gravity is about to have its inevitable way, the leg automatically lifts, reaching with the foot in search of stable ground, the hand might even rise for additional balance.  All this happens while the adrenalin flow increases and your heart pumps a bit faster.  You catch your balance; sigh in relief and life is nice and safe once again.  That’s a natural response.

Heidi loves our leaning game.  Leaning left, leaning right, she loves it.  And the truth is, I love it, too, albeit for reasons much different than hers.

In fact, I just asked her why it was fun for her.  I found myself starting to anticipate her answer, and she found me doing that, too, and put a quick stop to it, reminding me NOT to put words in her mouth just to validate my point (our wives know us sooo well).

She said, “It’s more about my history of doing this.  You’ve never dropped me and it’s exciting knowing I can lean so far without worrying; like one of those crazy rides at Six Flags or Cedar Point where you plummet but don’t hit the ground.”  She then reminded me that the first time I drop her is the LAST time we’ll ever play the leaning game.  Message received loud and clear.  So what exists that allows us both to enjoy her falling?

It’s Heidi’s trust in me.  Now don’t start assuming anything.  This won’t be an ego-building explanation for yours truly, I promise.  That’s not where I’m going, so just settle down and stick with me.  We’re almost there.  You see; without me there to support her, it gets ugly.   I’m the one keeping her from going splat, defying gravity and restoring her to her original upright position once the flight is over.  This is a matter of truth, an unarguable fact.  I am necessary for her to enjoy our falling game.

What I’m about to tell you always reminds me of a scene from an old sitcom called Gilligan’s Island (if you don’t remember, ask your mom).  Gilligan’s made these wings out of straw and there he is, flapping his arms as he’s flying and the skipper sees him and says, “Gilligan!  You can’t fly!”  Gilligan, still flying in place, replies, “I can’t?” and the skipper answers, “No!”  So, of course, Gilligan falls. The fact that I can support Heidi’s body weight (not that it’s hard, sweetheart!) and keep her from being hurt is not predicated on her believing that I can.  It’s a truth, whether or not she chooses to accept it as such, and her disbelief wouldn’t and couldn’t alter the facts.

For Heidi, it was never a fact until the first time she leaned.  I could tell her all day long how there was no possible way I would drop her, how I would never even offer to hold her as she leaned if I had any doubts.  She might eventually give in and try it, but up until the very moment she tried, she’d have serious doubt.

It wasn’t until we played the leaning game for the very first time that she really (as Vivian Smith used to say)  ‘knew in her knower’.  So for my ability to protect her from falling to become more than a promise in her mind, she first had to exercise some faith.  She had to believe in what she hadn’t yet seen, which was me supporting her.  She had to let me hold her as she reclined at an angle impossible to maintain her balance on her own.   She had to go against her very nature and deny the primal, human urge to stay upright and trust herself over me.

The first time she leaned was the biggest example of faith.  The second time was easier (and each time thereafter) because now she had experiential knowledge.  We’d established a history at which she could mentally point and say, ‘it’s ok, he never drops me.’

So how, as her husband, does the leaning game make me so joyful?  That’s pretty simple.  Knowing she trusts me enough to lean, believing I won’t let her fall, fills my heart with all sorts of wonderful things.  Seeing her eyes grow wide and feeling her tense against my arms tells me there’s a tiny bit of fear there.  The fact that she still leans tells me that she trusts me and as her husband, that blesses me big time.  When there’s a risk that comes with the trusting, it seems to mean more.  And what husband doesn’t love seeing his wife joyful?

Yeah, you see it now…you probably saw where we were headed quite a few paragraphs ago, didn’t you?  If you didn’t, don’t feel badly.  Here’s the very elementary but oh-so-wonderful-to-revisit reveal (MUCH shorter since Heidi pointed out it was way too long):

Faith isn’t faith until it’s tested.  His Word is FULL of examples of how, in the midst of a terrible trial, faith in what couldn’t be seen, what couldn’t be known resulted in deliverance, healing, restoration and uncountable blessings.

The very things we fear are opportunities to realize/experience the character, the very heart of Daddy God!  Every financial struggle is an opportunity to lean…and to learn (Malachi 3:10).  Every time we suffer, it’s a reminder that by leaning now in the midst of the suffering, we’ll eventually stand in glory (Romans 8:17).  IF you want the comfort, the glory, the eternal peace of Him, then suffering is simply part of the package.  (2 Corinthians 1:5, 1 Peter 1:11)

By exercising our faith, we develop a history of seeing what a perfect Father does when His children cry out to Him, and our faith in Him is continuously justified.  And here’s something else to remember.  Abraham believed in the Lord and it was credited to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:5-7)  By acting in faith, we’re honoring Daddy God, giving our faith muscle and adding strength to the love we confess for Him.

So run to Him.   When you want to feel the power of the holy, uncreated One, run and ask Him to wrap His arms around you.  When you can’t imagine how you’ll ever get out of the bind you’re in, run to Him, talk to Him, cry out to Him and watch what happens.  If you’re lacking the faith to trust Him, tell Him about your faithlessness and He will remain faithful.  Just lean.  It’s ok.  You may lean so far it frightens you, but if His arms are around you, you’ll never fall. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

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May 15, 2011 · 5:22 pm

THIS is gonna be the best day ever.

Like every family, we’ve got a pretty strong morning routine at our house.  Mom has it all down to a science.  Like a well-trained corporate time management guru, she has meticulously timed and planned every event that has to take place in the morning.  It’s a tightly wound piece of work my wife has constructed, and some would probably call it excessive…but it’s necessary because we have Nathan.

Nathan James

Nathan is 6 years old.  That’s an amazing statement, considering the way his life began.  Nathan was born to a girl  who was already trying to raise two other boys on her own.  Like so many young women, motherhood wasn’t something she had planned for: it simply ‘happened’, and then it happened again, and now…yep, once more.  No dad was in the picture, and no one, including his mom, could say with any certainty who dad might be.  She was simply struggling to survive, getting help from her mom and getting ready for her third child.  The truth is, this isn’t an unfamiliar story at all.  But, like every other story, this one’s a bit different.

This pregnant mother of two had Lupus.  I learned that Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body.  She had Chronic Lupus, meaning her symptoms had been around for quite a while.  It attacked her kidneys with a vengeance.  Still, she wanted to raise her two boys and hoped to raise this child to come.

Nathan arrived in the same way that Nathan does everything: in a big hurry.  He was born 3 ½ months premature.  He weighed 1lb, 10oz.  He was born with chronic lung disease, cerebral palsy, hernias, two holes in his heart and a few other ‘syndromes’ that cause no trouble, are impossible to pronounce and require no medical attention.  He is deaf in one ear (his right), and needs a hearing aid in his left.  As a baby, he required oxygen 24/7.  He had two ports on either side of his chest: one for drainage and I can’t remember for certain what the other was for.  The scars are still there.  The care that he required would wear out many mature couples, let alone a single mom raising two boys.  After trying to handle one night of a heart monitor screaming, oxygen sensors beeping and her own physical limitations being tested, reality made Nathan’s mom rethink things really hard.  She made an amazingly mature decision for someone her age and when Nathan was 6 months old, still in the hospital, she decided to place her third son for adoption.  For Nathan’s sake, this proved to be the right decision. Last year, his  mother died from complications due to kidney failure.

Nathan underwent 3 surgeries to correct problems once we adopted him.  He has problems with fine motor skills.  He rushes everywhere and falls fairly often due to balance issues.  He’s strong willed and stubborn, spends a LOT of time in time-out and is constantly being reminded, “If you do what you’re told, things will go well with you!”  Nothing comes very easily for Nathan.  From climbing up onto my bed to snuggle to getting food to his mouth without spilling any, he struggles with things most 6 year olds have mastered.  He is amazingly bright and extremely sensitive to others…and he is the happiest person I’ve ever met.  Blonde hair, blue eyes and a smile that never fails to melt the coldest heart: that’s Nathan.  Yes, I’m his dad and you bet I’m biased.  That doesn’t discount the fact that this is one truly, remarkably and eternally happy boy.  Let me tell you something that might help you understand.

One of the routines in the morning is for Nathan to climb into my bed once mom has awoken the princess (my daughter).  Nate wakes up and to keep him out of trouble until breakfast, he comes and snuggles with dad.  Sleep is impossible once Nathan is awake, but it doesn’t keep me from trying.  I’ll lay there, quiet, still, trying to convince him that dad is sawing logs, but he’s nonplussed.  That little arm wraps around my neck and then a tiny mouth presses against my ear and whispers, “You need some cuddle?”  I always need some cuddle.

He gets as close as he can and we cuddle and talk and giggle.  He tickles me, I tickle him and we just delight in being there.  And nearly every morning he says, “Dad, this is gonna be the best day EVER!”  And he means it.  He forgets all the time-outs of yesterday, the skinned knees, bumps and bruises.  All those frustrations of not being able to do something easily disappear, replaced by endless possibilities and wonderful chances for…whatever.  That’s the most amazing thing to me: there are no preconceived notions, no daily planners or schedules for Nathan.  It’s simply being in the midst of love that he confesses his heart.  Today is gonna be the best day EVER.  How?  He doesn’t know.  Why? There’s really only one reason for that kind of optimism.  Love.

Perfect love casts out all fear.  Remember 1 Corinthians 13?  Pay close attention to one verse in particular in that chapter: ‘It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always preservers.  Love never fails.”  Six years old, considered developmentally delayed and behind, Nathan grasps what I still have trouble remembering.  God’s mercies are new every morning.  I am loved with a love that surpasses understanding, beyond my ability to measure or comprehend.  Yesterday is over, the night always becomes morning and joy is mine because He loves me.

Oh, daddy God in heaven…teach me to embrace Your love, Your mercy, Your grace and goodness in a way that makes me truly believe that EVERY day is gonna be the best day EVER.  Teach me to be like Nathan.

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April 25, 2011 · 4:50 pm

Meekness

Recently, the Men’s Group (so why did I feel the need to capitalize ‘Men’s Group?) at the church I attend were contemplating one of the questions posed in our current study.  The question was “How can we be meek in our relationships without becoming weak?”

After much discussion, the first thing we all concluded was that we weren’t entirely sure we understood exactly what it means to be meek.  So I started studying a bit and here’s my summation.

If you go allllllll the way to the end, you’ll find the scripture references i used.

Study notes on meekness:

 DEFINITION(s)

Microsoft word: (adjective) 1:  mild: showing mildness or quietness of nature 2: cowed: showing submissiveness and lack of initiative or will

American Heritage Dictionary (2009) (adjective) 1: Showing patience and humility; gentle.  2: Easily imposed on: submissive.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary (1974) (adjective) 1: characterized by patience and long-suffering.  2: deficient in spirit and courage.  3: moderate

Synonyms: humble, timid, submissive, gentle, docile, modest, compliant, mild

Cowed?  Lack of initiative or will, deficient in spirit and courage?  Ok, granted, there are some fairly positive definitions of meek, but for the most part, it’s not something most men would want to have carved on their tombstone (“Here’s lies Wilhoff…deficient in spirit and courage”).  And think about it: when you first think of the word meek, do you picture someone of great spiritual fortitude and strength…or someone wearing a pocket protector and bow tie?  The way the world defines meekness is so very different from the way God views it.

SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION

 

After looking at 3 versions of the bible (NIV, NAS & KJV thanks to biblegateway.com), I found 30 uses of the word in the KJV, 4 in the NIV and only 2 in the NAS.  By comparing all 30 verses in the KJV that contain the word meek (or a variation thereof) with the same verses in the NIV and NAS, the most oft used ‘substitutes’ are gentle (gentleness, gently) and humble (humility, humbly).

So as defined or described by scripture, meekness isn’t akin to weakness at all.  In fact, as Christians who want to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), meekness (gentleness) is a quality possessed by Christ, therefore, something we should strive for.

Paul exhorts the church to show its gentleness to everyone (Philippians 4:5).  In addressing the church at Corinth, Paul makes his appeal ‘by the humility and gentleness of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:1).  He instructs the Colossians to ‘clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience’.

Humility is defined as modesty or respectfulness.  Guess what my Thesaurus lists as one of its synonyms?  Yep…meekness. ‘Possessing an unassuming nature’.  We’re told that humility brings wisdom (Proverbs 11:2, James 3:13); that it is the fear of the Lord (Prov. 22:4).  We’re instructed to clothe ourselves with humility (Colossians 3:12, Prov. 3:34 and referenced again in 1 Peter 5:5).

It’s obvious throughout scripture that God wants his children to be meek.  Jesus even tells us the meek are so blessed they will inherit the earth.

Q: How can we be meek in our relationships without being weak?

 I believe we first have to come to a proper acceptance and understanding of what it means to be meek.  Rather than subscribe to the negative social definitions, we really have to get our hearts and minds around the fact that this is NOT a bad or weak thing that God is calling us to be.  He’s calling us to be wise!

After reading through these many verses, it’s easy to see that this meekness, this humility and gentleness He is calling us to can’t be achieved without a confidence and strength that is born of the understanding of who He is, a sincere fear of His awesomeness and knowing who we are in Him.

Look at the blessings our God promises as a result of truly, sincerely pursuing meekness.[1]  Just go down the list of verses and you’ll see that the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity; they shall eat and be satisfied, there heart shall live for ever, they are guided in judgment and taught His way, delight in the abundance of peace and shall be saved!  The meek He will beautify with salvation.  Daddy God increases the joy of Him in the hearts of the meek!

 [1] see the warning against delighting in false humility in Col. 2:18-19

Here’s what I’m seeing.  Take a close look at Colossians 2:16-23.  This is Paul warning about being swayed by people full of false humility.

There’s a saying in sales:  sell the sizzle, not the steak.  You focus on the ‘wow’ stuff that creates excitement and ‘buzz’ in order to make something more appealing.

That’s what a lot of these people were doing.  They were the ones who were worshiping tasks, events, things they witnessed.  The focus was no longer on Christ, but on how spiritual they could appear to one another.   Paul says that they ‘lost connection with the head’ (vs. 19).  THAT’S the death of humility: loosing connection with the head, which is Christ Jesus.  The life, and the birth of humility come from knowing that our strength is Christ and Christ alone.  As we continue to die to self, He increases, and His strength, His glory is what we reflect, rather than our own ideas and notions.

So I’m asking: if meekness means allowing more of Him to live in us, rule us, guide us, if it means I shut up and allow Him to shine brighter than me, how could I possibly be weak?  Despite what others might think they see; true meekness, true humility and gentleness are manifestations of an unbelievable strength, an incomparable power (Eph. 1:18-20).

Finally: IF we truly pursue the heart of the Father, cling to His truth, yearn and learn of His heart for us and receive everything He graciously gives, meekness, humility and gentleness will be naturally ‘supernaturally’ birthed in us: a fruit of the Spirit that grows in us (Gal. 5:22…see gentleness?).  And once we live in sincere humility/meekness…THEN His strength will be truly manifested in us.

Meek (meekly, meekness)

Three versions of the bible were searched for this study using Bible Gateway (http://www.biblegateway.com/):

New International Version (NIV), New American Standard (NAS) and the King James Version (KJV).  When a different word(s) is used in another version, it is listed in blue following the verse reference. Please note that the actual word(s) used in the other version may be a variation or different tense of the word(s) listed.

NIV: 1.    1 Kings 21:27
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. NAS: despondently, KJV: softly

2.    Psalm 37:11
But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. NAS: humble

3.    Zephaniah 3:12
But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the LORD.  NAS: humble, KJV: afflicted

4.  Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. NAS: gentle

NAS:

1.    Psalm 45:4
And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,For the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;Let Your right hand teach You awesome things. NIV: humility

2.    2 Corinthians 10:1
[ Paul Describes Himself ] Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ–I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! NIV: humility

KJV:

1.    Numbers 12:3
(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) NIV & NAS: humble

2.    Psalm 22:26
The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. NIV: humility

3.    Psalm 25:9
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. NIV & NAS: humble

4.    Psalm 37:11
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.  NAS: humble

5.    Psalm 45:4
And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. NIV: humility

6.    Psalm 76:9
When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah. NIV: afflicted, NAS: humble

7.    Psalm 147:6
The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.  NIV: humble, NAS: afflicted

8.    Psalm 149:4
For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.  NIV: humble, NAS: afflicted

9.    Isaiah 11:4
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. NIV: poor, NAS: afflicted

10. Isaiah 29:19
The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.  NIV: humble, NAS: afflicted

  1.  Isaiah 61:1
    The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;  NIV: poor, NAS: afflicted
  2.  Amos 2:7
    That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:  NIV: oppressed, NAS: humble
  3.  Zephaniah 2:3
    Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.  NIV & NAS: humble
  4.  Matthew 5:5
    Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.  NAS: gentle (w/footnote for humble, meek)
  5.  Matthew 11:29
    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.  NIV & NAS: gentle
  6.  Matthew 21:5
    Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.  NIV & NAS: gentle

1 Corinthians 4:21

  1. What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?  NIV & NAS: gentle
  2.  2 Corinthians 10:1
    Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:  NIV: humility
  3.  Galatians 5:23
    Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  NIV & NAS: gentleness
  4. 10.  Galatians 6:1
    Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  NIV & NAS: gentle
  5. 11.  Ephesians 4:2
    With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;  NIV & NAS: gentle
  6. 12.  Colossians 3:12
    Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;  NIV & NAS: gentle
  7. 13.  1 Timothy 6:11
    But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.  NIV & NAS: gentle
  8. 14.  2 Timothy 2:25
    In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;  NIV & NAS: gentle
  1. 15.  Titus 3:2
    To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.  NIV & NAS: gentle
  2. 26.  James 1:21
    Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.  NIV & NAS: humbly/humility

27.  James 3:13
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.  NIV: humility, NAS: gentleness

28.  1 Peter 3:4
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.  NIV & NAS: gentle

1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God 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:  NIV & NAS: gentleness

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