Meek: power under control

A few months ago my pastor interjected one of the definitions of the word meek into his sermon about Jesus’ character. He claimed that the word meek was defined as power under control. I fact checked it with the dictionary and found that my pastor’s definition is considered to be the fourth definition of this word that so many people have misinterpreted.

Until I heard this definition I had always viewed meek as a synonym to the word weak. I thought of meek people as those with little or no power who are often taken advantage of.

I then looked up the definition of weak. Weak is defined as lacking the power to perform physically demanding tasks. Therefore, those who lack power and are considered to be weak cannot be meek. It is impossible to be meek without drawing your power from a source. Those who are meek have the ability to control the power they are given and do not let it turn into aggressive pride that would eventually level their power.

Suddenly, it all made sense and having the proper definitions of these words puts Jesus’ character into perspective. Jesus was not “weak” because He had the power of the God fueling him to complete every miracle and daily task. He attributed the beneficial qualities He had through His power to benefit the lives of others and leave a legacy. His “meek” character came as a result of His humility to draw his power from God and not let pride get in the way of the legacy He was leaving.