Blessed Are the Meek

Meditation

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

(Matthew 5:5)

In today’s world, being meek is looked down upon as synonymous with being weak. The dictionary definitions for meek are; humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others; overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame. It calls the former uses of the word as being obsolete. The word used to mean, gentle; kind. Why does our society consider meekness as being a negative or undesirable characteristic? I don’t see meekness as being spiritless. I see it as being brave. I see it as being selfless. It’s easy to show a haughty spirit and bully your way through life. It’s not so easy to check your ego and be unselfish about the needs of others.

Even women today are ridiculed if they don’t fight back like a man. We’re all told not to take guff from anyone but to be meek does not mean to be weak. Our best example of meekness in life is the one who saves us, Jesus Christ. He didn’t come to be served like the king he is, even though he deserved that. He came to serve us in meekness. Sometimes it’s hard to remain meek when we’re having to endure a bully but that’s what we’ll be rewarded for doing. Not because it’s easy or enjoyable to take being mocked or taken advantage of for our beliefs, but because Jesus endured far worse so that we can inherit the paradise of the new heavens and new earth.

In my experience I have the example of one of the elders of my church. He and his wife were two of the founding members who moved almost a thousand miles to plant our church. He could have the attitude that he is now of a higher station than everyone else because of his past sacrifices. However, he is a gentle and kind man who cleans toilets and mows the lawn. I greatly admire and try to emulate him. His wife is the church treasurer. That’s a very hard job that requires many hours to keep up with every week. She also has a gentle and unimposing spirit who shows the love of Christ every day. Together, along with the other elders and ministers, they are the glue that hold our congregation together and following the will of God for our congregation.

Prayer Time

Lord God in heaven there are no words sufficient to describe how we feel about you. You show us mercy when we don’t deserve it. Your grace is unending when we turn our lives and hearts over to you. Before we’re saved, we have a tendency to think that anyone who doesn’t, either physically or by mouth, fight for something, they are weak. It is so pervasive in our culture, we’ve actually changed the meaning of the word, meek, in the dictionary to suit the secular meaning. To be meek actually takes courage, not weakness. Anyone can choose to fight, even when fighting is not necessary. When being confronted with a bombastic person who will not back down, it takes strength for a meek person to turn away. Thank you, Lord, for giving us the option to walk away from a fight instead of having to succumb to secular pressures to lead with our fists or a sharp tongue. We have the promise of inheriting the new earth that comes down from the new heavens after that great powerful Day of the Lord for remaining meek. So, Father, we ask you to temper our need to always be right and seek meekness. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen!