Meekness—Timidity

There are certain things that look alike. Some words resemble each other, for example, and can therefore be confused. We have the word “meekness,” which is a virtue that women especially, more so than men, are enjoined to put on. They have their very own scripture concerning this. Their adornment is to be a meek and quiet spirit. Meek means quiet, and quiet means quiet. In other words, a two-fold quiet spirit. But we also have something that resembles that, and that is timidity. Meekness and timidity. Timidity is not a virtue. It is a vice. Timidity is scandalous. Timidity comes from unbelief. Bluntly stated, timidity is a condition where one is embarrassed to hear the sound of one’s own voice, and therefore one speaks in a near whisper. That isn’t meekness. Meekness is manifested particularly on the day of adversity. That is when you are to be particularly quiet and unobtrusive. Timidity also causes you to be quiet, but the motive is completely different. Timidity is a disgraceful fault. Those who are urged to speak louder and don’t do so are timid. That is the fact of the matter. It would embarrass them if they were to speak with a louder voice. Then there are others who are arrogant. They speak loudly, but the reason is because they have high thoughts about themselves. This is a third category. But it is very common that people suffer from timidity. It comes from a lack of faith in God, and from the fear of man. When you speak a little louder, you get embarrassed by the sound of your own voice. In other words, all of those people that one has to keep after to speak louder are timid. This is a tremendous vice; it is unbelief, and, as it is written, it is impossible to please God without faith. It is, quite frankly, a lack of boldness. There are these three categories: timidity, meekness, and arrogance. Confidence in oneself makes a person cocky and bold, and such a person always speaks with a loud voice. But the goal is to live only in the virtues and put off everything that isn’t a virtue. The idea is always to be on target, to hit the bulls-eye. Speak loudly and clearly.

There is another point about speaking too softly that can help people to speak loudly and clearly. Then you speak so quietly that people can barely hear what you are saying, then it has little, if any effect. One almost gets the impression that you don’t really believe what you are saying yourself. When you speak loudly, clearly, and distinctly, it enters into the heart. It is totally inadequate when you barely can hear what is being said. It has no particular effect, at all. Speaking in a timid way is a bad habit, or in everyday language, a nasty habit. Correct this, all of you who have the problem. Loudly and clearly. It isn’t high-mindedness to speak loudly. Boldness in this way is a virtue. Boldness has a great reward. When you speak loudly and clearly it has the greatest possible effect. If you have to strain to hear, it doesn’t have much effect, and the idea is that everything should have an effect. Correct this. Everyone who is timid needs to declare war on timidity—all-out war.