Acquiring Meekness is a Process.

In my studies this past week, I was reading about being meek. Though I felt I understood what it meant to be meek I decided I wanted to learn more about the origin of the word to increase my understanding of how I could become a meek person.

I found that the word was once associated prominently with horses. A horse was meek when it would take to the bit. When this happened the horse and the rider became one. The two of them reached the highest lever of symmetry together.

Thousands of years ago, horses roamed free in the wild- unburdened and untamed but humans soon began using the horse's power for many things. Before humans could use horses, however, they had to "break the horse". This meant taming the horse and making it obey instructions. But they had to break the horse's will without breaking the horse's trust.

They had to become the horse's friend.

A horse trainer from Texas was asked about the qualities of a meek horse. Her answers may be helpful to us in our Christian walk and our relationship to the Lord. She gave four qualities. Her comments corroborate the preceding definitions of meekness!

“First: Power under control. Once broken, a good horse doesn’t require much correction. He has learned to accept the reins of his master, and a gentle tug is all that is needed to urge him in the direction intended. The training process does not remove the strength and power that used to make the animal wild; rather it places the same energy under control. The phrase ‘channel their spirit’ is commonly used to describe this process. Properly channeled, the horse is able to jump higher, run faster, and work harder than an uncontrolled animal.

“Second: Learning the Masters’ mind. A special relationship develops between horse and master. After years of working together, they develop a rapport that becomes second nature to both of them. Thus trained, a good horse can sense a bad rider and will resist false guidance. An intimate kinship evolves, and it is not long before the horse acts according to what it knows the master would do, even if the master does not give explicit instructions.

“Third: Partnership. Teamwork is crucial. A rider may leave his horse temporarily. He is not there beside the horse telling it what to do and personally directing every move. The horse knows its job and is capable of working even when it doesn’t feel the immediate presence of its master. They work as a unit even when physically apart.

“Fourth: Loyalty. The meek horse has an elevated sense of loyalty and commitment. In the days of the wild west and the pony express, the lives of the mail carriers depended upon the horses they rode. They needed to be swift and hardy, with a measure of grit that enabled them to keep going, no matter what. Those horses would die in the running if that is what it took. They were bent upon completing the course. And despite the heat, the parching thirst, raging storms, Indian attacks and injury, horses of that caliber never whined in protest.

“These are the qualities of a meek horse. It has learned the secret of submitting to the will of it’s master. It trusts the rider enough to follow uncomplainingly wherever he leads.”

The trainer also added: “Perseverance is very important to the meek horse. A horse doesn’t become that way overnight. It takes a long, hard period of training. Horses must be taken in, trained, and made accustomed to the instruments used to harness their potential and lead them to productivity. It takes patience, sweat, and a view toward the promising future. But with these vital ingredients, the effort pays rich dividends.”

Meekness is vital to becoming more Christ-like. Without it one cannot develop other important virtues. Mormon indicated, “None is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart” (Moroni 7:44). Acquiring meekness is a process.