A Teachable Spirit
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21 (NKJV)
Meekness in this verse is the Greek word praetes, which means humility, gentleness. A meek person is a person with a teachable spirit, ready to hear and receive God’s Word and willing to learn it. The meek person is willing to be taught the Word by others, especially pastors and teachers of the Word, and they are open to the five-fold ministry gifts noted in Ephesians 4:11. By these ministry gifts, or offices, we become more well-rounded, balanced, and continually growing spiritually in Christ.
A meek person is humble and lowly, accepting the dealings of God with a good attitude. The humble person doesn’t resist God. Meekness and humility should not be confused with weakness. Meekness is restraint; having power but keeping it under control- dealing with sin out of righteousness to uphold God’s standards. The meek person has strength, not weakness, with the ability to say “yes” to God and “no” to sin.
With meekness, that is with humility, we are willing to receive God’s Word which is able to save our souls. The saving of the soul is the renewing of the mind to God’s Word (Romans 12:2). The more our minds are renewed, the more our souls are saved, and we think, decide, and feel more like God does. The more we feed on God’s Word and do it, the more we grow and get stronger in God. With meekness we receive the implanted Word. The deeper the Word is planted in our spirits and souls, the deeper it gets rooted in us. More Word means we become more Christlike, because Jesus is the Living Word. Thus, the written Word of God helps us to be living epistles where others can “read” God, see God, and know God.
The more meekness we walk in, the more open we are to receive God’s Word- and that is what will change us. Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). As we get God’s Word in us and allow Holy Spirit to helps us, teach us, and change us, meekness will grow in us, causing us to mature in this fruit and allowing God to have His way with us. We’ll no longer fight God, but we’ll submit to His will for us. And we all know that His plan for us is always good.
