Meek

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So, how do we keep from losing heart while trying to find the good way when life feels more like a losing battle than something worth dying for? Grab your gear and come on a quest with your band of brothers who will serve as the guides in what we call the masculine journey. The masculine journey starts here now. Oh, yes, it does tonight. Or in this case, in the afternoon, depending on when you're listening and where you're listening.

As today where Sam lists in Seattle, I'm afraid. Sam is actually remote.

So you're still with us, all right, Sam? Absolutely. I'm with you every step of the way, Robby. I'm so glad.

Well, at least you're here. You picked the topic. That's rare for you to be here whenever you pick the topic. No, it was actually me that picked. Oh, you're talking about.

Yeah, I'm here. I picked the topic and I'm here. All the same topic. The last seven shows we've done where Robby picked the topic, Robby wasn't here. Yeah.

I do my best. I thought there was going to be a board meeting. Nonetheless, the topic is, and I bet you're wondering, it is meekness. No, it's like. Moses is described, interestingly, in Numbers chapter.

12 verse 3 is the man Moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. And this is God's description of Moses. And so, and clearly, Jesus makes reference to how wonderful it is to be meek. And so the word. You know, from a standpoint of the masculine journey, obviously is a key word.

And trying to understand that biblically. What is God trying to convey about this particular man, his character, etc.? And so. Uh Andy. Um You since your clip tonight, you picking it up with Moses in his early ministry days.

He's 80 at this point in time. And so, you know, he was a late bloomer, wasn't he? But uh yeah, I chose this because you know whenever you think of Moses where was the start Of his meekness, and we know he struggled kind of with pride or trying to handle things in his own way. in those first eighty years and whenever he had that Burning Bush Experience. and God started speaking King James English to him.

It got his attention. and changed his whole, um His whole life, everything changed. And I think this is where you see the inception of his meekness. For the place where I now stand is tis holy ground. I am the God of thy father.

The God of Abraham. The god of Isaac. And the God of Jacob. Lord. Lord.

Why do you not hear the cries of their children in the bondage of Egypt? I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt. And I have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters. For I know their sorrows. Therefore, I will send thee, Moses, unto Pharaoh.

That thou mayest bring my people out of Egypt. Who am I, lord? That you should send me How can I lead this people out of bondage? What words can I speak that they will heed? I will teach thee what thou wilt say.

Yeah, when you just listen to that a little bit deeper, you know, it's like, who am I? That would be much deeper than that.

Well, you know, just you know, sometimes you just listen, you know, it's like that you've read the same scripture over and over, but it kind of jumps out to you. But you know the the whole idea of who am I you know he was thought he was somebody, you know Whenever he killed the Egyptian, and then the next day he was taken, going to take care of business, and they called him out on it and stuff.

So. He had he had like, Who am I?

So there there was a this That internal we were just talking about. Humility is uh is an internal representation or recognition of Um You're not not all that. And then meekness is an external expression of that. And so he's finally getting that inside. And then so he can express it.

that humility. externally. But just uh and then he says, you know, then God says, you know, well I'll teach you. Don't worry about it. I got you.

I'll teach you. And that's the product of that is meekness to me. There you go.

So Sam? Your take on meekness.

Well, you know, uh are you ready for my clip? I'm ready for you, whatever you got. Yeah, and I stole Sam's definition there, by the way. Sam, you may want to. I stole it from AI, or whatever.

Now, meekness for me is quite upstream. Right, I don't have to be very vocal. To get my point across, you know, some of the best bosses I've ever worked for. You knew they were in control. But you also knew you were on a team and you were valued, but they never had to yell at you.

they would just talk to you and they'd tell you what they needed. And so I chose a clip from Defiance about a movie during World War two where four brothers are out in the wilderness and people keep coming to them to avoid the the Nazis. And so they're leading this group. And Tuvia, the oldest brother, steps up and redirects their focus, and that's what we're going to hear in this clip. We cannot afford revenge.

Not now. We cannot afford to lose friends like Yakov and Peretz. We cannot lose anyone. We will map out where we have been.

So as not to visit the same farms too often and we will take only from those who can afford to give and we will leave those who can't alone. Our revenge. is to live. The poorest farmer has more than us. But what I am saying is we are not thieves.

or murderous. We may be hunted like animals, but but we will not become animals. We have all chosen this. to live here free like human beings for as long as we can. Every day of freedom is like an act of faith.

And if we should die? Trying to live? Then at least we die like human beings. What I liked about that clip. What I liked about that clip is he takes him back to the larger story.

He gets them out of the the the troubles, the challenges. what they've been living in and says, okay, let's reset this. and let's have some perspective in this. And I think that, that's what a leader does And and they don't have to be very vocal about it. They just have to speak truth in love.

And that's what he hear I hear him doing in this. And to me, it was an example of a humble Leader demonstrating meekness to the people that are looking to him to follow. Yeah. You know, it's an interesting thing as I, you know, put this topic out to everybody. And Um You know, listen to all the clips.

and people's explanations that in each case, actually, Every single one of us. picked somebody that was a leader to demonstrate meekness. I just find that a fascinating thing. Is leadership connected to meekness in some way, in your view, Sam?

Well, I think the best leaders It's that way. The ones that that speak from the heart, honestly. and without pressure, without Shame without Your con conviction that's undue, you know, that kind of thing. They speak in condemnation to you. You know, th those are the leaders that I think History proves that they're not great leaders.

At the time it may be confusing, but in history you'll see that those probably weren't the best leaders. The ones that are typically the best leaders are the ones They go out and just do the quiet Focus and move forward in what they're going to do, determined. You know, I think of Franklin Velano Roosevelt during the Depression and how his leadership. brought back the country from the depression stage. Right, but he wasn't one that I remember.

You know, I wasn't alive then. Harold would have to tell me. But I I don't I don't remember him being like a yelling kind of president unless he really had to make his point. Yeah, so but You know, getting back there, and do you think that there's some aspect of meekness that also is involved in leadership? Thought before action.

Yes. Um I think I've known people who were meek, who no one would have thought of as a leader. But I looked at those people as a mentor, And so were they leading somebody? Yeah. They were.

It's it's like, you know, you wear the title of pastor. And to some extent, if you are A Christian. And if you are passing along what it is that you have learned by walking with God. not just listening to traditions of men, but actually walking with God, You're pastoring somebody whether you realize it or not, right? And so, yeah, I think that.

Definitely meekness is the quality that we most want in a leader. I mean, it ma Well, kings and priests, right? I mean It gets into that at some level, Jim? This reminded me of Jeff Stepp, I guess, since he's Gone on, it didn't hurt to use his name. Back in my reenacting days, he was the colonel of our regiment, the 26th North Carolina.

and we weren't truly fighting in a war. But he had the character of he was calm, He knew his stuff. and he led us extremely well. And it occurred to me that if this was a real world real war, I would follow him. wherever he led us.

Because I'd trust him. And it's it's a characteristic that creates trust.

Well, let me just... contrast that for a second for you guys, just as a point of discussion. Is that you guys describe calmness and you know, having been around some. What I consider to be great leaders, you know, one of them is on the phone right this minute. It's been known to throw a stapler under certain circumstances.

Um Yeah. And Moses, let me just say, when he came down the mountain, this was not somebody who was not yelling. I mean, he broke those tablets. Like, I mean, I almost submitted that clip because that was another picture of me.

Well, is it? You know, and there you go. He had just literally, he had just. I interceded for the lives of those people. And put his own life on the line for them, but out of love for them and out of.

you know, whatever, then he you know, he he So I'm, you know, just trying to. Jesus Christ, meek and mild, was turning over tables in the temple. I was going to do it. But he did not hurt any animals. All right.

Well, you can tell we're back, and we'll be with many clips. We've got a boot camp coming up. What we have at our boot camp is something that makes you stronger and gives you the strength to go on your regular walk with God. It's something that will make you be bigger than you were when you got there. I listened to Morgan Snyder's book, Driving to Work last year, and that was a very profound experience.

So this kind of culminated into it. I'd have been invited to it several times and just it never worked out and God really had it set up that I came last time.

So coming into this one, I knew this one went deeper and I really wanted it. It's a break for me to get outside of things I've got going on and I just needed a break from it and needed to reconnect and it's been absolutely bad, this process. The covenant of silence, silent prayer, those are some of my favorite parts that this is real connection with the Lord. You can hear him speak, you can get direction, guidance, anything you're missing is there. You always learn something new.

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Register today at masculinejourney.org. I'm coming. back to the Hold on. Worship, and it's all about you. It's all About you.

Jesus, I'm sorry Lord for the Then I've made it when it's all about you It's all about you We're talking makeness today.

So, Sam. You chose that clip, interestingly. Yeah, it's Matt Redman. And what I liked about it, and Robby, I'm going to talk about him in a second, but to go back to your point ties into why I folks this this particular bump is I think a a leader can be vocal. But what they do is they center you back in the truth.

They center you back, they ground you In things that are important, and sometimes they may have to get vocal to do that. It's just not their normal way of doing it. You know, they do it as needed. And when I listen to this Matt Redmond song, Yeah, it When you listen to it, it can't help but get the perspective of, at the end of the day, it's just about Jesus. Right.

And what he's done for me is important and all those things that He's the center, he's the the focal point, and he should get all the glory. You mean love. Yeah. Yeah, he should get all the glory. That's beautiful, Sam.

And love. I agree. Grant? That's that's wonderful. The right actions at the right time, which is what I think the strength under control is.

Yeah, Jim was talking about how Jesus flipped the tables. And of course, one could say, well, Jesus, we know most of the time was operating in control of every situation. And I don't think he lost control. He was fully in control even when he did that act, just like Moses was fully in control when he threw the command, the tablets down on him. Assuming he has it come on.

Right. We don't exactly know what happened there, but he wasn't a happy guy. But they were all in. If you remember, man, he ground up the golden. Yes, and they drank him.

Yes, I read that the other day. You will drink this stuff. But the fascinating thing about the leadership aspect of that is they followed him. I mean, they drank it. You know, they went from the situation in Egypt where they wouldn't do a thing, he said, to where all of a sudden he you know, he became the leader.

But it's you're you're exactly right, Sam. I think that's a a beautiful observation. And so Um Darren? You gotta King's speech.

So this clip um comes from the King's speech, which is a true story about At this point the prince. He's not the king yet, he's the prince. But he knows he's going to be king. and he doubts seriously that he can pull it off. But he's gonna have to.

It got thrust upon him because his brother, who should have been the king, was a putz. And. basically abdicated the throne and chose wild, you know. women and song and all of those things instead of leading the people. Um And so, anyway, he's he's struggling because he stutters.

Um he's very intelligent, but he struggles. His wife is speaking into him constantly that you do have what it takes. And she goes out and hires this arrogant teacher, speech therapist. Um To help him with this struggle that he has. And so you pick this up where the therapist is trying to help him.

Get out of his own way, so to speak. And so you have to picture the prince with headphones on. trying to do what it is that um the teacher's asking him to do. I'm going to record your voice and then play it back to you on the same machine. This is brilliant.

It's the latest thing from America. It's a silver tone. Pop these on? There's a bob in this mate. You could go home, Rich.

You're playing music! I know.

So how can I hear what I'm saying?

Well surely a prince's brain knows what its mouth's doing. Her non Well acquainted with royal princes, are you? Mm-hmm.

So the point there is When you're just operating out of the dynamic that is your true self. the one that God created you to be. and you're not getting in your own way. You can probably be meek. And you can probably lead well if leading is what you're supposed to be doing.

And in this case it was. And so But while he was listening To himself, am I saying it right? Am I doing it right? And do people think I'm saying the right thing? Am I using the right word?

Am I using the wrong word? When you're constantly questioning yourself in your heart, Um Which I would argue is probably not you, in reality, it's probably your enemy. Um, but when you're constantly doing that, you're not going to be able to lead anybody. And so. It is kind of interesting to me that this is the guy that gives one of the greatest speeches, you know, ever.

And he is then partnered with one of the guys that many people think is the least meek. and most arrogant humans alive, but in Winston Churchill, But if you understand Churchill a little bit, you know he struggled with do I have what it takes to because he had been knocked down. You know, he was on a pedestal at one point in his life. like we tend to think maybe Moses was. Although I'm questioning that now.

Um But he gets knocked down at the end of World War I. He loses his rank, and he's not the Lord of the Admiralty anymore, all of those things. And now it's he and this prince, who's going to be the king, that are going to need to lead Europe. out of the death throw of Nazi Germany.

So I just think it's an interesting juxtaposition. As well as and uh you know obviously Moses struggled with a similar infirmity, right? But you know, he struggled. And you know, as you said before, fascinatingly, that you know God brought Aaron along to support him. And You know, often, you know, Part of meekness, I think you guys would agree with me, is.

being willing to ask for and receive help. Yeah, of course. That's the thing that I think I struggle with the most. When I was. 25, 30.

I I was a leader. I mean, I I was forced into that role or or accepted that role. And I thought being a leader was You don't ask other people. For help. You don't ask them what they think.

You don't let them speak into it. You're the leader. You make the decision.

Well, that goes over like a. you know, submarine on a screen door. Yeah. But Now that's the thing that bothers me the most when I'm Chatting with, mentoring, counseling young men. Yeah.

Helping them understand, look, you don't need all the answers. You don't have them anyway, period, so just lose that idea. The best thing you can do is walk into a room and say, Hey, I'm dumb as a rock. with regard to that thing would you teach me? And as soon as you walk in with that type of humility and say that, almost everybody else in the room will say, Well, sure, I'll be happy to teach you.

And then you get the. access to their knowledge, That prepares you for whatever the task is that you're going to be doing at some point in your life. Yeah, Sam? Robby? Yeah, I'm putting you on the spot, man.

I just want to make sure that this is. It's hard to do when he's not here. Yeah, you know. Yeah, I'm here. What do you need?

Well, if he's not going to say anything, I'll give you an example. When I led my first team. I had been the what team? A team.

Okay, I love that team. It was the A team. The A team. Yeah, it was. I thought you said the mufflers team.

But it was the first team I led, and I had been a real technical guy and got promoted over some other technical guys. And I had done a lot of the stuff and mentored them. But they called me to be a manager, but I didn't want to take the tool belt off and did a lot of stuff myself. And hurt myself probably as a leader because I didn't really develop that part of it because I liked the technology and wanted to do it. But I also had an attitude of, you know, if it's going to be done, it needs to be done right, and I can I'm the one that has to do it.

And it wasn't, it's not the best example, but in that, I wouldn't think, well, meekness would have helped me out.

Well, I think it probably would have, because it would have been asking for help or saying. You know, even though you may not know how to do this, I'm going to trust you to go learn how to do this instead of trying to do everything myself. And I did some of that. I really did, but it wasn't to the point I needed. Because I never had been mentored as a leader.

That's one of my biggest deficiencies. There was the first time. leader you don't know they're they don't Teach leadership in most high school curriculums or whatever, college or anything, it's all book knowledge and stuff. You know, you get into some some of that in the business world, but you don't have a lot of that whenever they actually puts you over over people, so Yeah, so we Today, if you're listening, you're thinking, Oh. You know, this is a critical, from my perspective, a critical.

aspect to the masculine journey is grasping this which clearly to God is extremely important. in the masculine journey. And there's much to be learned. Uh as you can hear that You know, it's almost like God made the word hard on purpose so you would have to think. Like, what's he trying to get at?

Yeah, it's not a common. You don't use meekness in a sentence very often. Oh, that's the meekest guy I ever saw right there. Look at that man. Don't you admire that meekness in that dude right there?

I think of mealy whenever I hear meekness. I think of like wishy wall, you know, just kind of, but I know it's not, but Jim.

Well, actually, whenever I hear meek, I hear the worst description of Christ I can think of: you know, gentle Jesus, meek and mild. He was when that was appropriate. And when it wasn't, but he was in control of every situation he was ever in. And he put the leaders to Shame. usually with questions.

And I find that to be a very uh handy tool in meekness is you don't accuse and jump on and Yell at You ask him, well, you know, how could you have done that better? Or how was. How do you feel about doing this? And then once you hear. their side, you can lead in a way that they will listen to.

Darren? No, it's I it Totally agree with what Jim just said. You you picture this flannel graph Jesus, and it's hard to picture flannelgraph Jesus turning over tables in the temple. And as Andy pointed out before, that wasn't out of control, that was under control. Um It's being like Jesus.

I mean, we need to learn how to be meek because being meek is being like Jesus, among other characteristics, but that's one of them. Yeah, as we see God, we can get a better look at ourselves.

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