Meekness in the Everyday Moments

Amanda Woodiel meditates on the heart of Jesus — particularly His meekness — and how that might look in the everyday life of a mom. 

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.” (Matthew 11:29)  

This injunction from Christ — to submit to His yoke and to learn from Him to find rest — is the only time in the Scripture that He speaks about His own heart. His heart, He says, is meek and humble.  

This verse is like life-giving water to a weary mom. What mom doesn’t want more rest? What mom doesn’t want a heart that is meek and humble rather than frustrated and yelling?  

But what exactly is meekness? Saint Thomas Aquinas said that meekness moderates anger according to right reason. A moral theology professor at the University of Notre Dame defined meekness as “not displaying excessive self-protection,” which is somewhat close to Merriam-Webster’s definition, “enduring injury with patience and without resentment.” Sometimes meekness is thought of as gentleness, particularly when the meek one is the more powerful party.  

The working definition I’ve been using as I’ve been meditating on cultivating meekness in my own life is this: The meek person is one who does not refuse what God asks of her nor grasps at what God does not give. What would meekness look like, I wonder, for a mom like me on an average day? 

Everyday Opportunities for Moms to Cultivate Meekness  

6:00 AM. Up with the kids to get ready for school. On my way to the coffee maker, I am waylaid by a child who needs me to help find her book and another who wants me to do her hair and a third who needs me to sign his test. I do not insist upon my cup of coffee first (not grasping at what I don’t have).  

7:00 AM. In the pocket of time between my kids leaving for school and my leaving for work, I know that I should tackle some of the dishes that need to be handwashed — dishes I've left lying on the counter for several days. I do them (not refusing what is asked of me).  

9:00 AM. At work, a group of people are talking about what they think about the way the Notre Dame football team played. I’m not a football expert. No one asks my opinion, and I choose not to offer it (not grasping at attention).  

11:00 AM. I receive an email that my son has been assigned to a basketball team for the rec league. Upon investigation, it is obvious that several talented kids are on another team. I do not send an email demanding that my son be moved to the other team (not grasping at power).  

1:00 PM. On my way out to lunch, I see someone across the parking lot who is known for talking a lot. She lives alone and is kind but difficult to follow in a conversation. She sees me and waves at me to come over. I comply (not refusing to be kind).  

3:00 PM. In an email that a coworker sent, someone else is inadvertently given credit for a project I worked on. I do not correct it (not grasping at recognition).  

5:00 PM. On the way home from work, I could listen to music, think about what I need to do that evening, or spend time in prayer. I haven’t really stopped to spend time with God the entire day. I choose to do that (not refusing to spend time with Him).  

6:00 PM. At dinner, we tell stories of when the kids were little, and one my husband tells puts me in an unfavorable light. That’s not the point of his story or why he’s telling it. I laugh along with everyone else and let it go (not grasping at honor).  

8:00 PM. After dinner, I’m ready to sit in a chair and veg out on my phone reading texts and making the meal plan. My daughter comes over and wants to tell me — in detail — about her day. I put the phone down and look her in the eye, encouraging her to go on rather than shutting down the conversation (not refusing to show love).  

10:00 PM. Finally crawling into bed at night, I start thinking about the future and worrying about how we can afford to send our child to college and how we can take care of my husband’s dad. I push those thoughts aside and instead focus on the goodness and faithfulness of God (not grasping at the future). 

Finding Rest in a Humble Heart  

These are the little ways I can see meekness playing out. I see, through this little depiction, how a heart of humility and meekness would indeed give me rest! The freedom from needing to be recognized and the freedom from worrying about the future lay alongside an inner peace that accepts what God gives. 

The picture I painted is not how I actually do respond all the time, but I can, as Venerable Bruno Lanteri recommends, begin again every hour with an “invincible hope in God’s mercy” (Overcoming Spiritual Discouragement: The Wisdom and Spiritual Power of Venerable Bruno Lanteri). In the meantime, I continue to pray for meekness, ask my guardian angel to help attune me to opportunities for meekness, and strive for it — knowing that to be meek is to have the heart of Jesus Christ. 

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Copyright 2025 Amanda Woodiel
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