COLOSSIANS 3
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
– Colossians 3:12-17
COLOSSIANS 3 PUT ON HUMILITY AND MEEKNESS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As a child chosen by God, one is called to put on the new self
Since the old life is self-preservation which opposes God’s provision
The believer is called to change his own desires towards pleasing God
While the unbeliever always prioritizes the desires of his flesh
To put on humility, self-reliance becomes God-dependence
To wear meekness is manifested in self-control and patience.
Matthew 5:3 gives us a picture of what humility looks like. In the Sermon in the Mount, Jesus says that the poor in spirit are blessed and will receive the kingdom of heaven. Material poverty is not the same as spiritual poverty. To be poor in the context of the world is to have less wealth, power and earthly things. Spiritual poverty is a recognition of one’s dependence on God. A spiritually poor person humbly admits that he is nothing without God. He doesn’t have any pride on what he is capable of doing or having because he knows it all comes from God. Humility is the opposite of pride, stubbornness or outburst of anger. A proud person is self-willed. Humility focuses on one’s posture towards God. A humble person admits his weaknesses and sins and goes before the Lord to be corrected and disciplined.
Meekness is mentioned in the beatitudes in Matthew 5:5 where Jesus says that they are blessed for they will inherit the earth. Meekness is the outward expression of humility. A meek person does not have a resistant and hostile spirit. He is teachable and doesn’t retaliate when exposed, wronged or being corrected. He doesn’t insist on his own ways or beliefs. It is strength under control or a desire to yield to God’s will and discipline. Meekness is the opposite of retaliation, stubbornness and self-will.
Paul calls the church of believers in Colossae to wear their new nature in Christ. He calls them to put on love and compassion, bearing with one another and living in harmony and peace. What I’d like to focus on in this account is humility and meekness. It is the first step to walking in love and compassion. If we take this first step, we can navigate the tendencies of the flesh towards sin. We will be able to hear the leading of the Holy Spirit in praising and glorifying God with a humble heart and meek spirit.
REFLECTION
- How is humility different from meekness? Why do many mistake them as synonyms?







