James 3.13
“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”
The Greek word that is translated “meekness” in the James passage is prautes. The word also appears in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth,” and again in 2 Corinthians 10.1, where Paul speaks of “the meekness and gentleness of Christ.”
A casual reading of these verses would give you a mental picture that is far from the forceful image common in Bible times. Once you realize that prautes derives from a Greek military term, you get a completely different picture.
Prautes is the condition of being calm, self-controlled, focused, and wise. It is an essential spiritual discipline, and it most certainly is not “meek.” It equips and empowers you to see and respond effectively to virtually any situation. It is a key discipline for applying E+R=O.
Prautes is a key element of true, biblical humility. True humility is a strong ego, whereas arrogance is a big ego. A strong ego is confident and assertive, and it focuses on serving others. A big ego is overly-confident and focuses on serving self.
Prautes carries the sense of “strength under control.” It’s the idea of perfectly combining strength and gentleness. It is strength that is submitted to and directed by the love and lordship of Jesus.
Prautes does not react impulsively; rather, it sees clearly and responds intentionally. It sees the situation with clarity, and then responds effectively. If the situation calls for gentleness, then prautes is gentle. If the situation calls for toughness, then prautes is tough. If the situation calls for patience and discernment, then prautes is patient and discerning.
It is not a surprise, therefore, that this Christian virtue—this spiritual discipline—is part of the fruit of the Spirit. The word “gentleness” in the Galatians passage below is the Greek prautes:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5.22-23)
Trust God, walk in the Spirit, and allow prautes to guide how you respond to the events and situations of life.
More tomorrow…
