"Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is never to be fretted or irritated or disappointed. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised. It is to go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret, and be at peace." – Andrew Murray

I am learning this "perfect quietness of heart." It is not reacting in our own emotions when people disappoint us. It is not giving in to frustration and anger when circumstances overwhelm us. It is living with limitations that God has allowed even when we do not clearly understand the reason that God limits us. It is seeing the success of others, especially the ungodly, and trusting that the Judge of all the earth will do right (Ps. 37:1, 7; Gen. 18:25). It means that we do not allow our situation to dictate our response.

I was reminded of this quote on November 22 and included it here. I had just been ordered the previous week to leave the office that I was using. It would mean finding the sixth office to use since I found my first office eight years ago. In other words, not counting time away in the United States I had moved my office to a new location about once a year. On one occasion, it had been a personal choice. The other four occasions I had been forced out by capricious or unreasonable landlords. For this reason, I was tempted to become frustrated at the "unfair" way in which I was being treated.

Let me state again that meekness is not allowing our circumstances to determine our response. Meekness is reacting in the spirit of Jesus Christ. Remember that when He was reviled He did not curse those who were abusively insulting Him. Rather He committed Himself unto God the Father (I Pet. 2:23). This spirit of meekness is a fruit of the Spirit and an evidence of our faith in God.

Many times we are like children. Those of you with children know that it is a child's natural character to argue with a parent. The parent has given the child some command or circumstance that the child does not understand. Rather than submit to the will of the parent as commanded in the Scriptures, the child tries to argue with the parent as if the parent is wrong and needs correction.

Many times, by fretting in difficult situations and questioning God's wisdom in sending them to us, we as spiritual children are exhibiting the same attitude. Although we may not say it to others and though we would never "argue" with God, in attitude we are unwilling to accept that the circumstances of health, accident, pressure, or neighbors are the circumstances that are best for us.

After we graciously had moved out of my office, we found out from neighbors that the landlady had wanted the office back because her husband had died. In the darkness of her religion she believed that taking the office space back was necessary. My heart was filled with compassion when I realized that she was compelled by fear and superstition to give up the rent money that the office was providing. I was so glad that I did not respond to her with bitterness, anger, or resentment. It would be appropriate to end with the quote that began this post:

"Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is never to be fretted or irritated or disappointed. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised. It is to go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret, and be at peace."

Are you fretting, irritated, bitter, disappointed, cynical? Or are you at peace?