Begin your discussion with a moment of quiet reflection, individual or group prayer, or whatever would be conducive to further discussion. Share with the group, as appropriate, your experiences during the week in being disciplined, in doing the journal exercises, in developing a disposition of meekness, or whatever.

1. Meekness is the ability to take mistreatment by others, and the vicissitudes of life, in stride, calmly and with inner peace, without frustration, anger, or lingering malice. Jesus, of course, is our model of perfect meekness. "I am meek, and lowly in heart," he said. (Matt. 11:29) The relentless efforts of his enemies to undermine his reputation did not affect him, because he "made himself of no reputation." (Phil. 2:7). False accusations did not cause him to react in anger or bitterness. "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously."
2. Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matt. 11:28-29) The strange and wonderful implication of this verse is that true peacefulness (rest for your soul) derives from taking the yoke of Jesus upon ourselves and becoming like him: meek and lowly in heart.
 
1. Doesn't that make sense? A spirit of discontentment and disquietude is fundamentally inconsistent with inner peace and joy.
2. Yet that is not the message society sends us. We're told that we have to right every wrong, suffer no insult, no matter how slight, demand fulfillment of our rights, punish the wrongdoers, and stamp out every source of offense. (Never mind, I guess, that people who feel that way seem mostly to end up angry and bitter.)
3. How about from a personal point of view? In other words, even if we know that the secular message is spiritually wrong and ultimately self-defeating, why is it so hard for us to adjust our feelings, to commit ourselves to being completely meek and lowly in heart?
4. Note that meekness is not weakness, nor does it mean that you have to be a doormat. Rather, meekness arises in the first instance from patience, and humility, and a lack of pretense. It depends upon a joyful affection for our fellow man, and a recognition that it is not our mission in life to go around removing the motes from everyone else's eyes. Mostly, though, it arises from a personal and deep knowledge of Jesus, a focus on the fact that the petty annoyances of this life really don't mean that much in the long run, and a faith that God will do what he has promised.
3. The purpose of the exercises was to focus on the irritants of life: people, circumstances, and events that get our ire up, that cause us to pound our chests and say, "No one's going to do that to me!" Share with the group your experiences in letting such matters roll off your back. How did it work? What were the obstacles? If you were able to successfully and joyfully shrug off such annoyances, did you find peace and contentment on the other side?

4/17/98