Spring has sprung. The rain showers are pouring, the cherry blossoms are blooming, our Savior has risen, and the season of birthday celebrations is rolling in at our house. It’s a beautiful time.Thank you—by the way—for the love on my birthday; it really filled me up.I woke up on my birthday amazed by the fact that I am an adult in her forties. It’s not like I didn’t see it coming, but it’s just wild how time flies. And it seems to move even faster with age. The months and milestones roll into decades before we know it.This year, I’ve been especially reflective on my identity. There’s a card I pulled from my Self Love Practice Deck that asks, “Who am I without my titles?” I love this question for how it pushes us to go deeper. Most often, when we're asked who we are or to introduce or describe ourselves, we start with our titles—who we are to others. “I am a mother.” “I am a business owner.” “I am Christian.” “I am a Black woman.” “I am a college graduate.” But these are titles, labels, that don’t even begin to describe our identity, who we truly are.In my quiet time on my 41st birthday, I struggled to answer this question. I sat with the question a bit longer, asking myself, “Who am I really?” I started considering traits that could only be uncovered with time or from the inside out—my passion, my potential, and my personality. This led me to our April series on identity. This month, I plan to share my thoughts on how we can explore our identity from the lens of identity & purpose, identity & personal growth, and identity & perception. Let’s start by asking ourselves this question, “Who was I created to be?”As always, thank you for being here, friend. I am looking forward to walking this path with you in the month ahead.xo, m.Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. — Matthew 5:5Meek is not a word that I would use to describe myself. In fact, if someone called me “meek,” I would probably feel a way. I came across this scripture in my Bible time this morning, and it jumped out at me for that very reason. I saw “meek” but it read “weak.” My first instinct was to look up the word "meek." It didn’t help. The definition used words like quiet, gentle, easily imposed upon, and submissive. Gentle, I can work with, but the rest, not so much.I kept going, y'all, trying to figure out how this scripture could speak to me. The promise that the meek “will inherit the earth” sounded worth it. I read different translations of the original text and found other definitions, words like humble, kind-hearted, sweet-spirited, and self-controlled. I thought, okay, we’re getting somewhere. I went back and read the chapter in its entirety, studying each of the beatitudes (nine blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount). I sat with each piece of encouragement, measuring my identity and experience against each one. I went further, looking for context by reading the previous chapters in the Gospel of Matthew. It was becoming more clear.As I began to understand it, meekness, in the Biblical context, is not about being weak or timid. It's about demonstrating strength under control, humility, and the consideration of others. It's the quality of being gentle, not in the absence of power, but in the choice not to misuse it. Jesus embodied meekness. He has the ultimate power, yet He chose to serve, to love, and to sacrifice for others according to God’s purpose for Him.Society often measures success by how much control we exert over our circumstances and over others. But adopting meekness as part of our identity means recognizing that true strength comes from God, and manifests in our lives as gentleness, patience, and self-control. It's about knowing when to speak and when to listen, when to stand firm and when to yield. This challenged my definitions of strength and success.The promise that the meek "will inherit the earth," while still appealing, hit differently when I went back to it. Yes, those who renounce the need for control, for power, even for wealth; those who live with humility and gentleness, are the ones who will be rewarded. But this reward isn’t the material wealth or earthly power that we often consider an inheritance, it’s something much deeper—the fulfillment and peace that comes from living in accordance with God's will.Embracing meekness will require practice, for sure. For some of us, more than others, we will need to make a daily decision to submit to God, to exercise kindness and respect in all circumstances, and to be mindful to pursue peace over anything. By doing so, we offer a compelling witness to the transformative power of the gospel that allows us to lead a life of impact, not influence.This month, as I consider my true identity, I will do so with meekness as my starting point. I am asking myself what ways my identity and personality may already be aligned with meekness, and what ways I ...
