If You’re Unable To Be Meek, You’ll Forever Be Held Back
Today, I spent some time evaluating the steps I’ve made.
I’ve written time and time again about humility, submission, and lowering yourself.
Not so you’re susceptible to everything, but receptive of everything.
The Bible talks about it too; funnily enough, my favourite verse talks about it.
Matthew 5:5:
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
And the best interpretation that I’ve heard to this day is the one proposed by Jordan Peterson:
“Blessed are those who have swords, and know how to use them, but keep them sheathed; for they shall inherit the earth.”
Jesus was described as "meek.”
And if you Google it, this will be the definition:
“Quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive. “She brought her meek little husband along.””
Typically, when we think of the meek, we think of the powerless and useless.
Those who can’t help but be quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on.
They are submissive out of circumstance and not choice.
But contrary to that image, Jesus did have the ability to be loud, aggressive, uneasily imposed on, and dominant.
In Christian doctrine, he is the son of God.
What was there to stop him from doing whatever he wanted?
Nothing.
It was a choice.
There’s some sort of benefit in the meek position.
So, why remain 'meek'?
This is why I love Jordan Peterson’s interpretation of the verse.
He depicts this idea of capability and humility perfectly.
And we see it in society too.
You have most likely crossed paths with a military veteran in your day-to-day, and they definitely have the capability of killing you ten times over.
Yet, you feel no fear that a whole horde of them, people that are unbelievably dangerous, are walking amongst you.
Laughing amongst you.
Living amongst you.
Why?
It’s because they have a responsibility to others.
And you trust that they won’t encroach on that responsibility.
Not just for their own benefit but for society as a whole.
In short, it doesn’t matter if you’re powerful.
So what.
What is there beyond that?
That’s the position of the meek.
That is the assumption of responsibility.
Note that it starts with power.
When you think of someone powerful, what kind of person comes to mind?
And often, when we think of power, we think of it an authoritative aspect.
Or maybe physical power is the first thing that comes to mind.
Whatever image arose is unimportant.
You are powerful.
Jordan Peterson’s interpretation uses the image of a swordsman, but in essence, he is addressing the power of mastery.
The power that comes from being skilled, in any capacity, and the responsibility tied to that power.
Here’s an everyday example:
A carpenter.
A carpenter is skilled in their craft.
If you buy the produce of a carpenter, it is the fruit of their skill.
You have an expectation that it will be fit for use.
Not only does this expectation benefit the carpenter, but you as consumers as well.
He gains from meeting said expectation in the currency of good reviews, which brings in more customers and more revenue.
You gain from acquiring a good product that lasts the test of time.
Creating a good product is the responsibility of a carpenter.
If they fail to meet that responsibility, both the consumer and producer fail to benefit.
So let’s look at the verse again:
“Blessed are those who have swords, and know how to use them, but keep them sheathed; for they shall inherit the earth.”
In essence, it means:
“Blessed are those who are skilled and uphold their responsibility, for they shall inherit the earth.”
We’ve understood, through the example of Jesus, that there is a requirement of capability first in order to be truly meek.
Jordan Peterson depicts this well when he says,
“you’re not moral if you’re harmless, you’re just harmless.”
He uses the example of a rabbit.
“A rabbit is harmless. A rabbit isn’t virtuous, it just can’t do anything except get eaten.”
It means nothing if you’re weak and cause no harm; you’re simply weak.
That’s all there is to it.
There is a significant difference when you’re capable or even dangerous but choose to reign it in for the benefit of others.
That’s an entirely different sphere.
That is virtuous.
That’s what it means to be "meek.”
The idea of reigning in capability is a tad vague; however, look at it like this:
Imagine you’re a carpenter.
Everything you have put your heart and soul into is on display.
These are your best pieces.
The products of your blood, sweat, and tears.
These are the sweetest and juiciest fruits of your labour.
But here comes a new customer.
They do a lap of the storefront, looking for some craftsmanship to purchase, but look visibly underwhelmed by everything on display.
You feel slightly dejected, but confidently direct them to the back.
Where your most prized creations are stored.
But still, they are unimpressed.
They want more.
In fact, a lot of your pieces come close but just fall short.
The customer offers their advice on how you could improve your art.
Someone arrogant would take that as an assault on their effort and discard the suggestion.
On the opposite end, someone underconfident would take that as a reason to quit, similarly discarding the suggestion as something unattainable.
The meek one does neither.
They have reigned in the assumptions that come with skilled capability.
The meek are ever-desperate for ways to still grow.
They are hungry to widen their horizons in any way, shape, or form.
That is the responsibility they have assumed to benefit others.
It means nothing to be skilled if their skill prevents them from becoming more skilled.
Today, I thought back to when I started writing.
If I had never assumed a meek position, I never would’ve grown as much as I did.
When I started, I asked my editor to rate every single piece I wrote.
The first time I got a 6/10 I was devastated.
I’ve always been confident, especially when it came to writing.
It was always effortless to me.
Almost an extension of myself.
And to some extent, I very much still am confident.
However, my confidence is now rooted in growth from action.
Back then, it was based on my perceived capability.
Had I been too arrogant because of my perceived capability I never would’ve grown.
The beauty about being meek, is you enable yourself to be receptive of everything not susceptible to everything.
If I was susceptible to everything, that 6/10 would’ve crushed my confidence.
Maybe even struck a lasting blow to my identity as a writer.
However, it stirred up something inside of me.
I started to realise, that being comfortable in my writing wasn’t enough.
I needed to do more.
I needed to try more.
I needed to work harder.
I needed to put my heart into my work.
Then write again and put even more of me into my art.
I needed to delve deeper and deeper with each and every piece.
To give more and more of myself with each word.
There is no room for being self-centred in that process.
And that started with being meek.
And I continued because I remained meek.
My editor told me that I write best when I’m personal.
And the best way to do that is to share a part of yourself.
Be vulnerable.
And I hate being vulnerable.
Yet, here we are.
With every single piece, I stray further and further from invulnerability.
I actually enjoy being open, raw, and vulnerable in my writing.
All because the responsibility I have, which is to give, is bigger than the desire to remain safe and comfortable.
And that started with being meek.
Being meek allowed me to be receptive.
Being meek allowed me to grow.
Just like the carpenter, if I wasn’t willing to lower myself to listen to the opinions of others, I would’ve never written this.
If I never lowered myself enough to listen,.
If I never humbled myself enough to know I’m not good enough yet,
If I never took up the responsibility for the sake of others, not just myself, would I have grown?
Definitely not.
Being skilled doesn’t mean you have to be the best at your craft.
Wherever you are in your journey, you need to grow all the same.
It doesn’t matter how the “power” you hold manifests itself, whether it’s flashy or boring.
Uphold your responsibility.
If I never did, I never would’ve found this part of myself I love the most.
Thank God for meekness, eh?
LM
Thank you for reading!
American psychologist Alok Konojia, or ‘HealthyGamerGG’, says:
“The absence of reflection is the reason you’re stuck.”
To solidify our growth, let’s reflect:
Petrichor’s 1-Minute Reflection:
- How did you feel before reading?
- How did you feel whilst reading?
- Do you feel any different now that you’ve finished?
- What is your one takeaway from reading this?
