The Ministry of Meekness

The gospel makes us meek, not because we always think poorly of ourselves, but because we are given eyes to see who we truly are and our utter dependence on God’s mercy and grace. 

The late Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian, wrote about meekness in his book, Life Together:

“Only he who lives by the forgiveness of his sin in Jesus Christ will rightly think of himself.”

See, we must remember who we are by nature, our weaknesses, and what God has forgiven us of. We must remember that everything good in us and everything good that we do is God’s work.

A gospel-awakened heart sees the depth of its own sin rather than getting caught up the sins of others.

Why? Because the gospel helps us be honest about our sinfulness. This, in turn, demolishes pride. It also creates stability, confidence, and rest because we know we’re fully loved and accepted in Christ. In a place of meekness, we no longer feel the need to prove ourselves or justify who we are by being the top-dog or climbing over others. Then, we can bear insults, release the need to defend ourselves or retort back, or always clear our name.

That is the power that comes from understanding who Christ is and who we are in light of that. Meekness is not weakness; Rather, it opens the door to freedom in God.

This article was originally published at https://indycrowe.com/2019/05/15/help-from-bonhoeffer-on-humility-and-unity/.