The Quiet Strength of Meekness

Inside: Meekness isn’t weakness. It’s strength surrendered to God. In a world of self-promotion, Jesus calls us to quiet trust and gentle boldness. His Word is meant to shape how we live and love.

A woman sitting with an open Bible on her lap, wearing a cream sweater, and holding one hand open in a posture of prayer or surrender. Sunlight filters through a window in the background.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” —Matthew 5:5

Meekness may be one of the hardest beatitudes to live out. It touches not just our hearts before the Lord, but how we respond to others—especially within our own homes. In a world that prizes power, assertiveness, and control, Jesus calls us to something radically different: meekness.

What Is Biblical Meekness?

The Greek word praus gives us the picture of strength under control. Like a powerful stallion that has been tamed, the meek person doesn’t lack power—but submits that power to the Lord. It’s not weakness, indecisiveness, or simply being nice. It’s a Spirit-produced gentleness that trusts God, yields to His will, and doesn’t demand its own way.

Meekness is how we respond to God’s Word:

“Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”
—James 1:21

It’s also how we relate to others—with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15), with a spirit of restoration (Galatians 6:1), and as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23).

Martyn Lloyd-Jones said:

“To be truly meek means we no longer protect ourselves, because we see there is nothing worth defending… The man who is truly meek is the man who is amazed that God and man can think of him as well as they do and treat him as well as they do.”

Meekness flows from a right view of self before God. When we know we’re spiritually bankrupt and have mourned over our sin, it’s impossible to be proud. Everything we are is only because of the Lord.

Jesus, the Perfect Example

Jesus said, “I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). He didn’t revile when He was reviled (1 Peter 2:23), but He also stood boldly for truth. Meekness doesn’t mean weakness—it’s power submitted to the will of God.

And that’s what makes it a blessing.

“They shall inherit the earth.”
—Matthew 5:5

The meek are content because they trust the Lord’s sovereign hand in every detail—whether in trial, conflict, or ordinary homemaking moments. They don’t seek to be noticed. They rest in the Lord’s perfect timing, knowing that everything they have is from Him.

A Cure for Bitterness

Bitterness creeps in when we stop trusting God and start demanding our own way. But meekness bows the knee and says, “Lord, not my will but Yours be done.” It’s not passive resignation—it’s active trust.

If you find yourself struggling to be meek (as I do), remember: it’s not something we produce in ourselves. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit in a heart surrendered to Christ.

“Jesus can do what you think is impossible. He can teach you meekness, and you will find rest for your soul.”
—James Montgomery Boice

Friend, may our homes be marked by this quiet strength—by hearts that trust, spirits that yield, and lives that reflect the beauty of Jesus.

“He that is down need fear no fall.”
—John Bunyan

Further Encouragement

Read: Trusting God by Jerry Bridges—it helped me deeply in understanding the sovereignty of God in all of life’s moments.

Listen: This devotional is based on Episode 89: Blessed Are the Meek (Matthew 5:5) from my Sermon on the Mount podcast series.