There is not any virtue nor any good work that can make thee like to our Lord without humility and charity, for these two above all others are most acceptable to Him, which appeareth plainly in the gospel, where our Lord speaketh of humility thus: Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble in heart. He saith not, Learn of me to go barefoot, or to go into the desert, and there to fast forty days, nor yet to choose to yourselves disciples (as I did), but learn of Me meekness, for I am meek and lowly in heart. (John Climacus)

The meek shall inherit the earth. In gentleness and openness to God, the meek will know God's kingdom here and now.

The original Greek from which we have derived meek is πραΰς (praus). This suggests gentleness, calmness, mildness, and strength under control.

In the Republic Plato notes that the sheepdog is meek with the sheep and fierce with the wolves.

Jesus is the good shepherd, strong, attentive, calm; but fierce when either sheep or pasture are threatened.

I suspect attention allows us to be calm and being calm is a precondition to being gentle.

The image is of Christ as Good Shepherd from the catacombs at Rome.