I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say that they like dark roast coffee because they like a strong cup of coffee. Now if you want a strong, bold taste from your coffee then dark roast may be what you want. But if you mean highly caffeinated, then you are in for some bad news. You see the darker the roast in coffee the less caffeine it has. This means that light roast that you think is for people that are sissies and can’t take the caffeine are actually more caffeinated than your dark roast. This is a common misconception because most people associate the boldness and strength that they observe in a cup of coffee automatically makes it more caffeinated.
With this understanding I’d like to address another common misconception. When someone is loud and boisterous it is sometimes attributed to them as being strong. Those that boast of their strength and accomplishments can often seem stronger than others around them. While the one that is meek and quiet is often looked at as weak. So much so that this is the definition of meekness according to some dictionaries. Meekness is described as docile, overly compliant, spiritless, yielding, tame, mild, deficient in courage, submissive and or weak. This is a false definition of a truly meek person. These are those that can turn the other cheek. The ones that can stay quiet in adversity. This my friend is not weakness. On the contrary, the one that can do this is stronger than you think. As the writer in Proverbs would say whoever controls his temper is better than a warrior, and anyone who has control of his spirit is better than someone who captures a city (Proverbs 16:32 ISV).
In the Bible, meekness is defined as power under control, or strength that is voluntarily submitted to God’s will rather than self-serving. It is a virtue characterized by humility, gentle self-control, and compassion, and it is distinct from weakness or passivity. A meek person demonstrates inner strength and confidence, but chooses to use it with consideration for others and to serve them.
An example of meekness in the Word is Moses. The Word says the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3 KJV). This is the man that stood in front of Pharoah, probably the most powerful man in the world at that time and demanded he grant freedom to the children of Israel. The man that led the children of Israel through the desert. This is the man that the Word called meek, because meekness is not weakness. This is said of Moses in the middle of the story where Miriam and Aaron were talking negatively about Moses. God corrects them and strikes Miriam with leprosy. Do you know who stood in the gap and prayed for her? Moses cried to the LORD, saying, “Heal her, God, I beg you (Numbers 12:13 NHEB).” That takes strength to pray for the one that was doing you wrong.
So don’t be misled when you see someone going through a storm and they seem too quiet to you. When they lift up the one that is against them. It may be this person has a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price (1 Peter 3:4 KJV). These are those who are stronger than you think.
Matthew 5:5 KJV Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Psalm 37:11 KJV But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.