Considering the Qualities of Meekness One broken by the Spirit naturally possesses meekness. His contacts with people are no longer marked by that obstinacy, hardness, and sharpness which are the hallmarks of an unbroken man. He has been brought to the place where his attitude is as meek as his voice is gentle. The fear of God in his heart naturally finds expression in his words and manner. (1) Approachable : There are several qualities which characterize a person who is meek. He is approachable—so easy to have contact with, to talk to, and to make inquiry of. He confesses his sin readily and sheds tears freely. How difficult it is for some to shed tears. It is not that there is any special value in tears, yet in one whose thought, will, and emotion have been dealt with by God tears often denote his readiness to see and acknowledge his fault. He is easy to talk to, for his outward shell has been broken. Open to the opinions of others, he welcomes instructions and in this new position can be edified in all things. (2) Highly Sensitive : Again, one who is meek is alert to his environment, since his spirit can easily come forth and touch the spirits within his brethren. The slightest movement in anothers spirit does not go unnoticed by him. Almost immediately he can detect the true significance in a situation—whether it is right or wrong. Whatever the circumstance, his spirit readily responds. His actions are thoughtful, nor will he inconsiderately hurt others feelings. Too often we persist in doing things which in others spirits have already been condemned. Our outward man is not broken. Others. sense it, but we do not. Consider how this may occur in prayer meetings, when the brothers and sisters may feel repugnance toward our prayers. Yet still we drone on and on . Others spirits come forth and cry out, Stop praying, but we remain insensitive. There is no response to the feelings of others. Not so with one whose outward man has been broken. Because the Spirit has wrought a deep sensitivity he naturally touches, and can be touched by others spirits. Such a one will not be dull to others reactions. (3) Ready for Corporate Life : Only these broken ones know what the Body of Christ is. Without meekness they are hardly ready for participating in corporate life. They begin to touch the spirit of the Body, even the feelings of other members. If one lacks this Body-feeling, he is like a false member of the body, like an artificial hand, which may move with the body but has no feeling. The whole Body has sensed it, except him. Nor can he meekly receive instruction or correction. But a broken one can touch the conscience of the Church and know the Churchs feeling, for his spirit is open to the spirit of the Church to receive any communication therefrom. How precious is this sensitivity ! Whenever we do anything wrong, immediately we sense it. Though we are not freed from wrong-doing, we nevertheless possess a faculty which will quickly prick us. Brothers and sisters know you are wrong, but even before they open their mouth you are brought to your senses by mere contact with them. You have touched their spirit, and this indicates to you whether they approve or disapprove. It becomes evident that meekness, which is the fruit of brokenness, is a basic requirement, and without it Body-life is impossible. The Body of Christ lives the same way as our physical body. It does not require the calling of a general council in order to reach decisions. Nor is there need for prolonged discussions ; all the members naturally possess a common feeling and that feeling expresses the mind of the Body. And what is more, it is also the expression of the mind of the Head. Thus the mind of the Head is known through that of the Body. After our outward man is broken, we begin to live in that corporate awareness as related members of His Body and are easily corrected. (4) Easily Edified : The greatest advantage of brokenness, however, is not in having our wrong corrected but rather in enabling us to receive the supply of all. Our spirit is then released and open to get spiritual help, whatever the source. One who is not broken can hardly be helped. Suppose, for example, a brother has a keen but unbroken intellect. He may come to meetings, but he is untouched. Unless he meets one whose mind is sharper than his, he will not be helped. He will analyze the thoughts of the preacher and reject them as useless and meaningless. Months and years may thus pass by without his being touched. He is walled in by his mind and it would seem he can only be helped through it. In this condition he cannot receive spiritual edification. However, should the Lord come in and shatter this wall, showing him the futility of his own thoughts, he will become attentive as a child to what others may say. He will no longer despise people who seem to be below his capabilities or capacities. In listening to a message he will use his spirit to contact the spirit of the preacher, rather than focusing upon the pronunciation of words or the presentation of doctrine. When the spirit of the preacher is released with a definite word from the Lord, his spirit is refreshed and edified. If ones spirit is free and open, he receives help whenever his brothers spirit comes forth. But remember, this is not the same as being helped doctrinally. The more a mans spirit has been dealt with by God, the more thoroughly the outward man is broken; accordingly the greater help he can receive. And it is further true that whenever Gods Spirit makes a move upon any brother, never again will he judge others merely by doctrine, words, or eloquence. His attitude is entirely changed. It is an invariable law; the measure of anyone being helped depends upon the condition of his spirit. Now we must clearly understand what is meant by being edified? It cannot mean expanded thoughts, nor improved understanding, nor greater doctrinal accumulation. It simply means that my spirit has once more contacted Gods Spirit. It does not matter through whom the Spirit of God moves, whether in the meeting or in individual fellowship, I am nourished and revived. My spirit is much like a mirror, which is polished every time. Suppose we explain it like this : whatever proceeds from the spirit brightens everything it touches. As individuals we are much like light bulbs—different colored light bulbs. Yet the color does not interfere with the passage of electricity through it. As soon as the electricity flows into it, it lights up. So is it in our spirit; when there is the flowing of His Spirit we will forget the theology we have learned. All we know is that the Spirit has come. Instead of mere knowledge we have an inner light. We are revived and nourished in His presence. Once our intellectuality made us impossible, but now we can easily be helped. Now we understand why it is hard for others to receive help. We understand that it requires spending much time in prayer before we can touch them in spirit. There is no other way to help an obstinate person. As we shall see in the next lesson there is a way God has designed for true effectiveness...Nee
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 12:50:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015