“Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”
Because we want to know what our strict training (1 Corinthians 9:25) is to produce in our lives, we are each developing a “Beauty of Becoming Hero Collage.”
- To what end am I directing myself?
- What does a fully “Christianized” version of me look like?
- Who are my examples and models?
- What does a beautiful me look like?
The Beatitudes of Jesus, Matthew 5:1-12, are presented with a clear and important progression.
Realizing and experiencing total dependence upon God (poverty in spirit) for everything, I mourn:
- my personal inability
- my dependence upon self
- the lost years of the blessings of total dependence upon God
- the great damage I have done to others while not being totally dependent upon God
- the overriding pride of placing any dependence upon self
The attitudes, behaviors, personality, lifestyle, and relationship dynamics of the person who is poor in spirit and who thus mourns is revealed as meekness.
Meekness is not any one thing. To be meek is the personal living out, in the many and varied experiences of life, one’s total dependence upon God and one’s sorrow for self-sufficiency.
In the Old Testament, meekness is the God pleasing attitudes, behaviors, personality, lifestyle, and relationship dynamics of the person who is suffering, oppressed, and afflicted.
Meekness flows out of humility.
Humility includes joyfully receiving life as God allows it to come to you and responding to God and people accordingly.
“Meekness is unpretentiousness, gentleness, sweetness, and the grace to be utterly self-effacing.” R. T. Kendall
The beatitudes of Jesus are His prophetic autobiography.
Jesus said of Himself, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus’ struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane reveals the core essence of meekness.
“Life as I want it or life as God allows it to come to me?”
Meekness joins Jesus in the “my will/thy will” conflict and surrenders joyfully to the will of God.
In this life in the world’s system meekness wins nothing, loses everything, and is discarded.
Life in God’s system proves that the meek inherit the earth.