Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.
Matthew 11:29 AMP
If we are to consider meekness in action, we are most likely to think or even conclude that it is impossible to bring into reality. Meekness is the quality of being humble, gentle, and patient, even in the face of adversity. However, bringing this quality into reality in our lives can be challenging in a world that values assertiveness and self-promotion. It can be difficult to remain calm and gentle when confronted with conflict or injustice. It is even more challenging when people mistake it for weakness, leading to others to take advantage of or mistreat us.
Meekness requires a level of self-control and restraint that goes against our natural instincts to defend ourselves or seek revenge. Nevertheless, despite these challenges, every believer, true listener, and follower of the Lord Jesus has a call to be meek. The demand for meekness in a believer’s life cannot be undermined nor over emphasis. But as long as we are trying to be meek by our own wisdom, it would remain impossible. Meanwhile, the same is true of every beatitude. The kingdom lifestyle would remain unattainable unless we turn in the right direction. The Lord Jesus says to all “Learn from Me [following Me as My disciple]”. This is the key to living the kingdom lifestyle – learning from Jesus, and following Him as His disciple.
This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step. He never did one thing wrong, Not once said anything amiss. They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.
1 Peter 2:21-25 MSG
Without Christ living in this way, we would never think it possible for a man to please God. We could possibly think He was bragging when He said in Matthew 11:29 “…I am gentle and humble in heart”. But 1 Peter 2:23-24 clearly shows that we can truly learn of and from the Lord Jesus.
Again, consider 1 Peter 2:21 from the AMPC: “For even to this were you called [it is inseparable from your vocation]. For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you [His personal] example, so that you should follow in His footsteps.” Therefore, we can clearly see that following in His footsteps is the only way we can learn and have the kingdom lifestyle. As a believer, you cannot separate living the kingdom lifestyle from your Christian life.
The question now is this: “Are you learning of and from the Lord Christ?”. Have you not replaced Him with an ordinary man? Anyone who claims to be teaching God’s word but fails to point you to Jesus is indeed a false teacher. Such a person’s goal is like that of the devil – the thief, to steal, to kill, and to destroy. The only example to follow is the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, He is calling unto you personally today: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple]…”
