What Does It Mean To Be Meek? (Matthew 5:5 Explained)
We live in a world that celebrates strength; the loud, the bold, and the dominant are those who “win”. We’re told to speak up, take control, and fight for what’s ours. Power gets praised. But meekness? Not so much, when’s the last time you used the word meek in a sentence?
It’s not something we talk about much. And if we’re honest, it doesn’t sound all that appealing. Meek sounds like weak. Like passive. Like someone who gets walked all over.
No one’s out there putting “Be more meek” on their goals list.
So when Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek” it sounds completely upside down. And that’s exactly the point.
Jesus is showing us that the good life, the life he’s inviting us into, looks radically different from the one the world is selling. Because in his Kingdom, strength isn’t about control. It’s about restraint. It’s about choosing humility when you could flex. Choosing peace when you could fight. Choosing to serve when you could dominate.
The way of Jesus isn’t weakness. It’s actually strength, but it’s different than how the word defines it.
Let’s start by looking at what the meek will get according to Jesus…
What to read more about the Beatitudes? Check out: The Beatitudes Explained: What They Mean and Why They Matter Today
What “Blessed Are the Meek” Means
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5
Again, meekness is not weakness. It’s not being passive. It’s not letting people walk all over you. It’s not saying yes when you mean no or ignoring injustice for the sake of keeping peace.
In the original Greek, the word translated “meek” is praus, and it paints a much more powerful picture. This word was often used to describe a wild horse that had been trained for battle. Think about that, a horse that still had all its power, all its strength, but had learned how to channel it. It didn’t lose its power. It just brought it under control. That’s meekness.
Meekness is strength with a purpose. It’s power with restraint. It’s confidence without arrogance.
Simply put… To be meek is to have your strength under control.
Let me give you a simple example: I’ve got two young boys, and they love to wrestle. We go all in, tackles, flips, pile-ons. I’m way stronger than them (for now…), and I could absolutely flatten them if I wanted to. But I don’t. Why? Because I’m using my strength for their benefit. I’m holding back on purpose.
That’s meekness.
It’s not that I’m weak. It’s that I’m strong and I’m choosing not to use that strength to prove something. I’m choosing to use it to build something. To protect, to empower, to love.
And that’s exactly what Jesus did.
The one who had all authority in heaven and on earth came to us gentle and lowly in heart. He could’ve come with force, but he chose a manger. He could’ve crushed his enemies, but he chose the cross. Jesus had nothing to prove and everything to give. And that’s what meekness looks like.
And what’s the promise? “They will inherit the earth.”
Not the dominant. Not the loudest. Not the ones who push their way to the top. The meek. The ones who trust God enough not to grab what He’s already promised to give.
That’s a big promise. But it’s not about owning land or climbing to the top.
It’s about receiving what God has already planned to give—not by force, but by faith. Inheriting the earth means living with the quiet confidence that you don’t have to fight for your future. You don’t have to claw your way to the top. You can trust that God will give you what you need, in His time, in His way.
The world tells you to take it. Jesus says, wait for it. Trust Him. Walk humbly. And in the end, the meek, the ones who don’t force it, are the ones who receive it.
How Matthew 5:5 Applies to Your Life Today
This Beatitude pushes hard against the way most of us are wired. We want to take control, defend our name, win the argument, prove our worth.
But Jesus offers another way; a better way.
Here’s how you can start walking in meekness this week:
1. Don’t power up—pause.
Next time you feel the urge to push your agenda, defend your image, or prove you’re right—pause.
Ask yourself: What’s driving me right now? Insecurity? Control? Ego?
Then take a breath. Choose humility. Just because you can assert your strength doesn’t mean you should. Meekness isn’t about backing down, it’s about knowing when to step back.
2. Hold your strength with purpose.
God has given you strength. Influence. Authority. Gifting. That’s a good thing. The question is: What are you using it for?
Is it to get your way, or to lift someone else up? Is it to win, or to serve?
Start each day this week with this simple prayer: “Jesus, show me how to use what you’ve given me to serve others today.”
3. Surrender the outcome.
The meek inherit the earth because they’re not obsessed with controlling everything. They trust that God sees, God knows, and God will come through.
Is there a situation right now where you’re tempted to force it? To manipulate or make it happen in your own strength?
What would it look like to surrender the outcome to God instead?
Write that situation down. Pray over it. And ask God for the courage to be faithful, even if you’re not in control.
4. Walk in quiet confidence.
Meekness doesn’t mean you shrink back. It means you stop striving. You walk in the quiet confidence that your identity is secure, your worth is not up for grabs, and your future doesn’t depend on outperforming everyone else.
Try this rhythm:
→ Let your words be fewer.
→ Let your posture be open.
→ Let your presence be steady.
You don’t have to grasp for what God has already promised to give.
Meekness isn’t about being less than. It’s about knowing you don’t have to be more than.
You don’t need to dominate to have value. You don’t need to control the outcome to be secure. You don’t need to prove your strength to walk in power.
Jesus is offering us a better way; strength under control, a life of quiet confidence, and a promise that in the end, it’s the meek who win.
If you want to keep exploring the Beatitudes and the upside-down way of Jesus, I’ve put together a free 10-day devotional called “Discover the Good Life Jesus Promised.”
