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Meekness is another quality that is to characterize kingdom citizens, and consequently, Christian leaders. "Blessed are the meek," Jesus said, "for they will inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5).
What is meekness? It is a difficult word to define and one that's not well understood. We commonly associate it with weakness. We think of a meek person as someone who lacks inner fortitude, someone with a cringing, over-compliant spirit, someone who is a "push-over". And viewed this way, it is hard to see anything commendable about it.
However, it is a mistake to view the quality of meekness in such poor light. Don Carson tells us, "Meekness is not, as many people imagine, a weakness. It must not be confused with being wishy-washy. A meek person is not necessarily indecisive or timid. He is not so unsure of himself that he could be pushed over by a hard slap from a wet noodle" (The Sermon on the Mount, p. 22).
Meekness is basically a relational quality. It has to do with the way we relate to others - to God, first of all, and then to other people. Strong's Concordance offers this definition of the word: "Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept his dealings with us as good, and therefore, without disputing or resisting. The meek man truly acknowledges himself a sinner among sinners and this knowledge of his own sin teaches him to meekly endure the provocations of others and not to withdraw from the burdens their sins may impose upon him… The meek are those wholly relying on God rather than on their own strength to defends themselves against injustice."
From this it can be seen that meekness is not weakness. It is rather an inner disposition that arises out of knowledge - honest self-knowledge. A person who knows they are "poor in spirit", and who "mourns" over their sins, will not be domineering, demanding, or self-asserting toward others (including God). Rather, they will be humble and trusting in their relationship with God, and understanding, gentle, sensitive and patient in the way they relate to others. Rather than retaliating when wronged, they will commit themselves into the hands of the One who alone has the right to vengeance. This is what Christian meekness is about. It is the total opposite of self-assertion and self-interest. The meek person doesn't think about self, so doesn't feel compelled to push their own interests or defend themselves against others.
How different this is to the way the world looks at life - particularly in the area of leadership. "Here once more," Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes, "we must point out that this Beatitude, this particular description of the Christian, causes real surprise because it is so entirely opposed to everything which the natural man thinks… The world thinks in terms of strength and power, of ability, of self-assurance and aggressiveness. This is the world's idea of conquest and possession. The more you assert yourself and express yourself, the more you organize and manifest your powers and ability, the more likely you are to succeed and get on. But here comes this astounding statement - 'Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth' - and they alone. Once more then, we are reminded… that the Christian is altogether different from the world. It is a difference in quality, and essential difference. He is a new man, a new creation; he belongs to an entirely different kingdom. And not only is the world unlike him; it cannot possibly understand him. He is an enigma to the world. And if you and I are not, in this primary sense, problems and enigmas to the non-Christians around us, then this tells us a great deal about our profession of the Christian faith" (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, p. 67).