There are two ways to become meek: by humility or by going through the wilderness. Both paths are designed to ultimately put you in a state of mind where you can hear God’s voice.
Most of us have experienced times when we have been humbled by circumstances in our lives. We may be humbled when faced with a difficult situation, but like a cork in water, we rise to the surface again once the problem is resolved and our pride returns. God does not want our lives to be filled with pride that fades with intermittent periods of shame due to external circumstances or sometimes painful experiences. He wants us to be humble by choice, humble because we want to be like Jesus.
The Foundations of Humility
There are no great men and women of God in the Kingdom. Only humble people whom God chooses to use mightily. How do we know if we are humble? When God speaks, we tremble. God is looking for men and women who tremble at His Word. Such people will find that the Spirit of God dwells upon them and become the dwelling place of the Almighty.
The pursuit of God begins with humility. The desires of the flesh, the fears of the soul, and human ambitions seek to dominate us. Thus, when true meekness appears in the heart, the clamor of the carnal heart is quieted. The voices of fear and inadequacy become whispers. To humble our earthly perspectives and opinions, we must make them a lower priority. As our focus becomes more and more on God, they become mere background noise. Pretense will not work. We become humble. We prostrate ourselves before the holy gaze of God. And in God’s light, we finally become aware of the darkness of our own souls.
Thus, humility begins fundamentally with honesty. A humble heart truly understands its needs, and the awareness of its needs first becomes the voice of prayer. This confession, “I have sinned,” places us on God’s side in the matter. We agree with the Father that our actions are wrong. Thus, the healing process begins in this moment of self-discovery. We work with God to overcome the sin in our lives, and in this process of humility, the Lord gives us peace, covering, and transforming grace.
Breaking News. A Holy Spirit-Filled StorySubscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!
But in humility we not only acknowledge our need, but also take full responsibility for it. We do not give an account of our fallen condition to God. We did not come to give an account of ourselves, but to be cleansed.
The Bible says, “Be humble.” This means that we choose to be humble, not that God does it for us. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are toilsome and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:28–29, MEV). If we want to know the true nature of Jesus, we must recognize that He is meek and lowly in heart. Jesus empathizes with the humble. Jesus Christ was by choice, naturally humble. If we are to be conformed and molded into the image of Jesus, we too must choose the path of humility and meekness.
Patterns of gentleness
In this process of spiritual training, God wants to create in us the necessary attitudes that will shape and condition us to experience the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives. As we become humble in heart, this step qualifies and prepares us to reach that purity of heart that will enable us to see God, commune with Him, and have spiritual communion with Him. Then, when God speaks, we will be ready to change.
God explained this process to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8:2-3 when He described the wilderness season: “The purpose of the wilderness is not simply to adapt us to life in a place of oppression and scarcity. The purpose of the wilderness is to teach us that man does not live by bread alone. In other words, we do not live by our own efforts, but God’s people live by every word that proceeds from God’s mouth.”
This step of developing our humility and meekness does not make us timid or fearful, but gives us a humble spirit that is able to hear God’s voice and follow His guidance. The sign of true humility is obedience, striving to live every word, every whisper that comes from the heart of God.
Get your free Charisma Newsletter now: Stay up to date on current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charismatic videos and more.
By going through the steps of spiritual discipline — from recognizing our need to godly sorrow to deep repentance — we can develop true humility of heart and hear God’s voice. The process by which God humbles us in the wilderness allows us to hear His voice and be truly led by Him.
The Voice of the Holy Spirit
God speaks to believers through the Holy Spirit. And our ability to hear God’s voice is evidence of our humility. Don’t miss this important truth: Our humility is measured by our ability to hear God’s voice. And the way to hear God’s voice, the process, is to acknowledge our need, repent, and become pure in heart. As we continue to embrace that process of purification, we become more and more sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
True humility brings joy when we hear God’s voice, even if we may not be able to hear it. The fruit of meekness and humility gives us the ability to better hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us. Jesus told his disciples, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27, NIV). In Psalm 95:7b-8, David warned his people, “Today you want to hear his voice: ‘Do not harden your hearts, as you did in the wilderness.'” He also speaks the same words to us: “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7b). A person characterized by humility hears and responds to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
The opposite is also true. If we don’t hear God’s voice, it is a sign that we are not accepting the change He is calling us to make. We end up being hypocrites or false Christians. If we don’t change and obey God, we are living with two faces. God wants us to have one face, the face of Christ. God wants us to have one heart, the heart of Christ. God doesn’t want us to be two-faced. God wants us to have one focus, one heart, a sincere heart.
Until you surrender to God’s process of change, you will continue to live in dark caves in the mountains made for God’s presence, but where the enemy dwells. God wants you to live a humble life. You may pray, “Lord, humble me,” and God can make it happen. But you must choose a humble attitude in which God can work.
The humility you choose now will awaken in you a hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ. Choose the path of humility today.
Join Charisma Magazine Online and follow all that the Holy Spirit is doing around the world.
Francis Frangipane Founder of River of Life Ministries, he has traveled the world ministering to thousands of pastors and intercessors. He is the author of 15 books, including his latest, A Heart That Sees God. He now dedicates himself to the ministry of prayer and God’s Word, and his daughter, Joy, continues to seek God’s heart with him.
