I thought of this recently in the context of one person rebuking another.
And another person rebuking another.
And somewhere in there, one or more people rebuking back at the rebuker(s).
And me wanting to rebuke the whole lot. 🙄
Rebuking sounds so Biblical and spiritual.
Because it is.
Except when it isn’t.
Meekness may well be what makes the difference.
I got to wondering what most Christian rebukers know about meekness.
Let me tell you a bit of what I know cranially about meekness.
- Meekness empowers restoration…and protects the restorer from temptation.
- Meekness reveals Christian spirituality.
- Meekness is an essential ingredient of forbearance in the Christian brotherhood.
- Meekness opens the door to effective instruction of those presently opposed to the ways of God.
- Meekness keeps God’s people from hindering God’s redemptive work in the life of another.
- Meekness combines with a person’s works to show wisdom in a life.
- Meekness helps establish the presence of the wisdom from above.
- Meekness tempers and flavors and otherwise enhances the Christian’s declarations of hope, even more so those which come on the spur of the moment.
- Meekness in the hearts of the disciples of Jesus adds persuasiveness to their claims of speaking in His name.
Now let me show you how I know these things are so.
“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” (Galatians 6:1).
Meekness empowers restoration…and protects the restorer from temptation.
Meekness reveals Christian spirituality.
“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).
Meekness is an essential ingredient of forbearance in the Christian brotherhood.
“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25).
Meekness opens the door to effective instruction of those presently opposed to the ways of God.
Meekness keeps God’s people from hindering God’s redemptive work in the life of another.
“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” (James 3:13).
Meekness combines with a person’s works to show wisdom in a life.
Meekness helps establish the presence of the wisdom from above.
“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” (1 Peter 3:15).
Meekness tempers and flavors and otherwise enhances the Christian’s declarations of hope, even more so those which come on the spur of the moment.
“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” (2 Corinthians 10:1).
Meekness in the hearts of the disciples of Jesus adds persuasiveness to their claims of speaking in His name.
See what I mean?
More I’ve written on the subject…