Meekness:
Meekness is the beauty of love. It is seen in the spirit of Jesus, who came to seek and to save the lost, who came to do the will of Him who sent Him, and who was able to pray with deepest surrender, “Not My will, but Thine be done.”
The beauty of meekness is manifested in Jesus’ response to the Father’s will. Jesus never resisted, argued, complained, or fought against what His Father asked. Jesus’ delight was only to do what pleased the Father.
The beauty of Jesus’ love is found in His humility, His meek spirit, His lowliness of heart, His undivided trust, and in His complete devotion to His Father. In Jesus’ submissive heart we find the inward beauty of which Peter describes in 1 Peter 3:3-4, “But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God.” (AMP)
Self-control:
Self-control is the power of love. It means that God is in control, and if God is in control, love is in control. Because of it, God puts into action everything that His love wills and desires for us.
Because of the power of God’s love, nothing could hinder Him from sending His Son to the cross to die for us. No plan of man could talk Him out of it, no scheme of the powers of darkness could distract Him, no earthly king could overrule Him, and no military leader could put out his hand and say “no” to Jesus shedding His blood for us.
The power of agape love is governed by the righteousness of agape love. This assures us that the power of God’s love will never be abused or misused for an unrighteous purpose or action. We can be certain that God will never work anything together for the bad to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them.
The love of God is so vast and beyond anything we could ever understand or experience on a human level. In Ephesians, it is as though the Holy Spirit moved the heart of the Apostle Paul into realms of glory that revealed things few hearts had ever seen or known about the love of God. Paul’s revelation from the Holy Spirit turned into a prayer for all of God’s people…
I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:16-21 (NLT)
Joy and Peace:
Joy and peace are the wings of love. Without these ingredients our spiritual walk would be a sad and restless journey. We would be weighed down by a spirit of heaviness, and live in constant uncertainty and insecurity.
It is His wings of joy and peace that cause our hearts to mount up, to take flight, to rise above the fray, and to soar like the eagle. It is the wings of love that bring us a song in the night, a calm through the storm, and the assurance that it is well with our souls. It is the wings of love that our faith must fully extend to the wind of the Holy Spirit so we may run and not be weary, so we may walk and not faint, and so our strength may be renewed.
This is Part 3 of a 3 Part Series. You can find Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.
