GLEANINGS FROM THE SCRIPTURESA Meek And Lowly Heart vs. A Proud HeartBy Keith L. EstesBenefit of a Meek and Lowly Heart This heart is the only one that the Lord Jesus used to describe His personal disposition and to give us a greater understanding of Who He is, "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" (Matthew 11:29). As we learn about this heart, not only will we understand more about the Lord Jesus Christ, but we will also experience the rest in our souls that He promises. Why Jesus Chose This Heart to Describe Himself In one sense the war in Heaven is between the pride of Satan and the humility of Jesus. It was the pride of Satan that caused him to be thrown out of Heaven ("...I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14), and it was that same spirit of pride that caused Adam and Eve to fall into sin ("...Ye shall be as gods...(Genesis 3:5). In coming into the world to pay the terrible price for sin, Jesus laid aside His glory and humbled Himself to become a servant of all. It is this mind-set that He wants every believer to have. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:5-8). In our day there is a concerted effort to bring God down to the level of man and exalt man to the level of God. The meek and lowly heart does just the opposite. It widens the gap between the highness of God and the lowness of man, thus preparing the way for true fellowship between God and man. "...I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit.."Isaiah 57:15). Definition of a Meek and Lowly Heart Meekness denotes "gentleness." It is a disposition of the heart toward God that fully and immediately accepts the will of the Father in all matters. Meekness involves yielding our rights. Meekness is placing our strength under God's control in the same way that a horse obeys the slightest direction of its rider. Lowly, means "humbleness of mind." Meekness can function only out of a humble heart. Thus, the two must function together. True lowliness is in not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to, but accepting the assessment that God has assigned to us in our calling. The calling of Jesus was to be a servant of all, and this, He explained to His disciples, is the key to true greatness. Definition of Pride There are several operational definitions of Pride, such as "believing that I have achieved what God and others have done for me" and "building all of life around myself and refusing to recognize God as God." However, the aspect of pride that contrasts a meek and lowly heart is reserving to myself the right to make final decisions. Often a believer will dedicate his life to the Lord but keep one small area in which he can be the boss. This violates a meek and lowly heart. (meekness has no secret areas of our life which are not brought under the influence of the Holy Spirit.) Used by permission. Institute in Basic Life Principles, Box One, Oak Brook, Il 60522 |