For most of our lives, we are taught to stand up for ourselves. We are told to take nothing off anyone. We are told that meekness is a weakness. Longsuffering is something foreign to our vocabulary. However, it takes a lot more strength to be meek and longsuffering than it does to vent our feelings.
Colossians 3:12 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”
In Colossians 3:12, we have two attributes we are to put on that are foreign to us. The first we will explore is meekness. Meekness is enduring injury from someone with patience and without resentment. A meek person is one that holds his peace, he is showing power under control. Meekness is yielding my personal rights and expectations with a desire to serve others. A meek person looks ahead to see how their actions will affect others.
In Genesis 13, Abraham and Lot had to part. Abraham was Lot’s uncle and he was very rich. As both of their herds of livestock grew the herdsmen begin to have strife between themselves. Abraham, being the patriarch, could have chosen to take his family and goods anywhere, but he chose to let his nephew Lot have the land that was lush with plenty of water. Abraham was a powerful man capable of doing as he wished, but he preferred his nephew before himself. He was a meek man.
Longsuffering is best described as patient endurance. When someone needs our attention it often takes a toll on the relationship. A person who is longsuffering will do whatever it takes to help the other person to do what is right. They are very patient. Longsuffering is not quick to get angry and vent that anger. Job was probably the best example of longsuffering by any man. A longsuffering man is in control of his spirit. He rules it instead of it ruling him.
Proverbs 16:32 “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”
Both meekness and longsuffering require a person who is depending on the Lord to guide his steps. In the world we live in there is always someone in our path that pushes us to the point of losing control. It takes a meek person to control their actions when someone does them wrong. Our nature is to retaliate and show that we have power, but a meek person will control that urge. When we are longsuffering we will also be tested to put up with a lot of things. Things that will try our patience, but with God’s help we are able to show great patience with others. Both character traits are the fruit of the spirit attributes. This means, if we are saved, we have the capacity to exhibit this in our lives.
Have you developed these in your life?
