Would others define you as meek? It’s not a word we use every day, and oftentimes we confuse meekness with weakness. Truth is we’d be wise to allow the Holy Spirit to develop this trait in our lives. The dictionary defines the term meek as gentle, tender; free from pride.

I don’t know about you, but I often struggle with pride. It’s encouraging to have Jesus’ example of what meekness looks like:

Do you see it? He was willing to yield his will to the will of God the Father — even when it meant submitting himself to crucifixion.

Over the next couple weeks, we’ll take a look at this important fruit of the Spirit. Let the Lord put His finger on wrong attitudes and actions in your life. Follow His will and let Him develop meekness in you.

Parenting is not for the faint of heart. Our precious babies don’t come home from the hospital with a manual addressing every situation we’ll experience over the next 21 years. But the Bible gives us instructions for training our children and cautions us not to discourage our kids by provoking them :

I’ve made my fair share of mistakes as a parent. My quick temper and harsh words have made a mess of several teachable moments. Even when I’ve blown it as a mom, the Lord has been faithful to remind me that all is not lost. Although I may not have handled the situation correctly, I have the opportunity to say two far-reaching words, “I’m sorry.”

But the Holy Spirit’s nudge reminds me that righteousness trumps right every time. When I agree with Him, and humble myself, He’s able to develop the fruit of meekness in my life.

I remember a time when I needed to apologize to my daughter Riley. She had asked me if I was mad at her. In reality, I was angry – I just wasn’t aware that I was letting it show. Her question caught me off guard and I did what I shouldn’t have done: unloaded every reason why I was perturbed with her behavior. I’m sure I included some things that weren’t even relevant.

Although there were some issues I needed to address, I didn’t do it in the right spirit. I did so in anger without the intention of restoring her. It was time for me to get alone with the Lord.

The Lord put His finger on the pride in my heart and I knew I had to make things right. I apologized for my outburst and re-visited the matters that had irritated me in the first place.

Riley accepted my apology and we were able to pray about the issues together. The beautiful thing about asking forgiveness is the restoration and peace that follows.