Blessed are the Meek. Really!

The football fiasco has a happy ending. Last night, when the team turned in uniforms, the coach pulled my son aside to apologize. He shared that his frustration with the way the game went got him so focused on trying to figure out what went wrong and fix it that he lost track of the players. And more.

Does that make it right? Of course not. Life, though, as my son displayed last weekend is not about right and wrong, but about love and kindness.

To forgive, my son overlooked his personal disappointment. As a result, he is free. He sleeps peacefully at night, not replaying the injustice done. He enjoys football - playing neighborhood pick-up games without replaying his lost moment in the spotlight. He moved on.

To ask forgiveness, his coach chose not to be prideful, but to recognize his mistake and the pain it caused (or would have caused if my son let it). He learned from his mistake, admitting as much to my son.

Yet, to forgive is not easy (neither is asking forgiveness, but that's a blog for another day). What if, instead of a coach forgetting to play you in the game, you deal with past abuse? Or you lose your job, and the person who keeps theirs is an underhanded schemer? What if you lose a loved one from the careless act of a driver who texts behind the wheel?

Extending forgiveness in those circumstances would lead to the same freedom that my son's choice provided him. When we forgive, we are freed from the pain through a miraculous transformation in our hearts.

Matthew 5:5 says, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." We tend to associate the word "meek" with being a pushover or doormat. Yet it derives from the Middle English word for courteous. Courteous I understand.

God places a high value on meekness. Psalm 22:26 says, “The meek shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise the Lord that seek him; your heart shall live forever.” Sign me up for that!

Not naturally meek, how do I get there? My son definitely understands it better than I do. Titus 3:2 says, "to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men." Peaceable, considerate and humble.

Wasn’t that what Jesus did? He did not condemn the woman at the well, but gently pointed out that we all have sin, so who are we to judge? Rather than shun the dishonest tax collector, he chose to become his friend. In so doing, that tax collector became a believer and set out to right the wrongs he had committed in his lifetime.

So now I’m convinced that I need to work on it. I want to be more like Jesus! And I want to inherit the earth, eat and be satisfied, praise the Lord and have a heart that lives always. How do I get there?

1. I will learn what righteous anger is and work to apply that in my everyday life. (I expect I’ll be asking God for lots of forgiveness as I learn to let go). Ephesians 4:26 (NLT) says, “And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Only get angry over things that anger God and then, don’t hold a grudge.
2. I will read and apply God’s word, humbly and obediently. How can I know what angers God if I don’t read His Word? See number one above.
3. I will make peace with others. Obviously, if you’ve been following me the past couple days, you know this is a struggle! Yet God says, in Ephesians 4:2-3, that we should characterized by "lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Obviously, unforgivenness is not going to help me here.
4. I will be gentle in leading others. God's word, again challenging me: 2 Tim. 2:24-25 says, "The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose him." I have to substitute here: “Be gentle, apt to teach, patient, in COURTEOUSNESS instruct those who oppose me.”

I have some serious work to do! Being meek does not mean I’m a doormat. Living in meekness means using my power with self-control. Meekness means I battle the same battles God would if He were here in person, and also that I choose not to fight about stuff He would instantly forgive (getting cut off in traffic or spilled milk).

The meek shall inherit the earth. And why shouldn’t they? The meek respect God’s creation and all who walk on it. They exhibit God’s love in a way the proud cannot.

Dear God, help me become meek. Amen