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2 Corinthians Devotionals

Imitating our Lord

Now I, Paul, myself, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ… (2 Corinthians 10:1)

“The meekness and gentleness of Christ.”

I was meditating on those words this morning.

It made me think of what Jesus said in Matthew 11.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)

Meekness and gentleness so marked our Lord that whenever he broke the pattern, people took notice.

Unfortunately, I see too many Christians where the opposite is true: meekness and gentleness are the last words we would use to describe them.

Can anyone say “social media”?

I wonder. How many more strongholds could we break in people’s lives if the main weapon we wielded was love?

How many more strongholds could we break if we were marked by our Lord’s gentleness and meekness as much as by truth?

Lord, you have dealt with me with such gentleness, meekness, and humility. Help me to deal with others as you have dealt with me.

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Matthew Matthew 5

Sermon on the Mount: Submitted to the Father

I have to admit that whenever I read this, I’m always having to look up the word meek. What exactly does it mean to be meek?

I suppose it would be good to say what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean weak. When you look at Moses and Jesus himself, both were described as meek, but you could hardly call either of them weak. They were both very strong men.

The word meek comes from the idea of an animal that has been tamed. A tamed animal has not lost any of its strength, but is submitted to its master, and is willing to be used for his purposes.

Defined this way, Moses and Jesus can definitely be called meek.

Moses, after originally trying to fight for the Israelites on his own strength, and then giving up completely when he was essentially exiled, put himself under God’s authority and went on to accomplish great things.

Jesus, of course, while never ceasing to be God, nevertheless submitted himself to his Father’s will, going to the cross, and accomplishing the purpose for which the Father sent him, our salvation.

Both went through trying times. Both went through times of weakness. But both persevered through those trials, and kept on going until they fulfilled the purpose the Father had for them.

That’s what it means to be meek.

How about you? Are you meek? Have you submitted yourself to the Father?

When times get hard, do you complain, and ask, “Why is this happening to me? I thought I was doing what You told me?”

Or do you humble yourself before him, and continue to do his will?

It is to those people that Jesus says, “They shall inherit the earth.”

We will not go unrewarded if we submit to the Father and follow his will every day.

The question is: Will we?