Blessed Are The Meek
By David Free, Deacon
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5.5)
Oh man, I thought to myself, does that mean I’ll never be blessed, and never “inherit the earth” (meaning, partake of God’s abundant blessings here on earth and in heaven)? I certainly can’t describe myself as a meek person. If anything, I’m an extrovert. So I decided to dig into the subject, look for the true meaning of meek, as it pertains to the third beatitude.
It did not surprise me that the word meek can often come with negative connotations. It may be that people see being meek as being a doormat, for people to walk all over. In fact, one dictionary defines meekness as “overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame.”
Yet Jesus described Himself as meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29), and we know that He who defied the Pharisees, overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the temple, and never backed down from wielding the truth as a two-edged sword could never be described as spiritless or tame.
So, if I want to be one that inherits the earth, I need to learn to understand what it truly means to be meek.
I discovered that Biblical meekness means to place our trust in God, commit our way to Him, and wait patiently for Him; to refrain from anger; also to refrain from revenge and defensiveness. Meekness loves to forego wrath and leave its vindication with God. Meekness is the power to absorb adversity and criticism without lashing back.
Power under God’s control means the refusal to inflate our own self-estimation. Paul captures that aspect perfectly in Romans 12:3 —“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
Meek people see themselves as servants of God, not thinking more highly of themselves than they ought to think. To be meek is to accept our strengths and limitations for what they truly are, instead of constantly trying to portray ourselves in the best possible light. But it does not mean that we should deny our strengths and abilities.
What I have learned is to get my ego out of the way, trust in the Lord, and not so much in myself. Humility springs forth meekness. And meekness indicates strength of character.
So, if you, by any chance, disagree with what I wrote here today and want to challenge me, you’ll find no fight here, my friend! I’ll be entrusting even that to the Lord’s hands.
Prayer: Father, we ask for Your guidance in negotiating our paths through a world of voices proclaiming words of untruths, words of self-glorification, and words that don’t fit our faith in You. May we be meek and lay our concerns at Your feet, knowing that resolve will be Yours. Through the name of He who showed ultimate meekness, we pray. Amen.
Share this with a friend:
