“God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.”
Synonyms…humility, meek, lowly.
It is easiest to begin with what meekness/humility is not. Meek is not weak. Meek is not proud or arrogant. Meek is not unrepentant. Meekness is not self-sufficient or self-righteous. Meekness and humility do not cut God out.
What is it to be meek? In the world of the apostles the word was used to describe an animal that had been trained to obey the word of command. The best illustration is a horse that has been trained to obey the voice and reins. The power and will of the horse are not broken, but are channeled under the direction of a greater power.
In scripture the meek are God-directed, for only in his service do we find our perfect freedom and only in his will are our life, passions, and dreams satisfied. IT’S A MATTER OF WHO’S IN THE SADDLE.
You must begin by asking the question, who is in your saddle? Who, or what, rides you and drives and controls you? Is meek weak? To me it seems the opposite of weakness. It is my experience that it is the proud who are most easily wounded…who react most strongly to insult…who seem to feel the need to state their position most strongly…who are most easily crushed by failure.
Humility is nothing but the truth. Humility is a synonym for honesty. It is not an artificial pretence about myself, but an accurate assessment of myself. Have you ever caught yourself pretending to be someone you are not; playing a part to impress someone else, acting different depending on who you are with? That is the pattern of pride and hypocrisy. Humility is nothing but the truth.
Meekness was despised in the day of Jesus. The word simply was not used in the context of approval, still less of admiration. Not until Jesus came was true humility recognized. He was not humbled by another…he humbled himself. Only he among the world’s religious and ethical teachers has set before us as our model a little child. Think on this for a moment: Children are seldom humble in either character or conduct. I think Jesus was not alluding to their character, but to their status…they are dependents. They depend on their parents for everything.
Later in Matthew Jesus prayed, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike.” He was not denigrating our minds, for he gave us our minds. Rather, he was indicating how we should use them. The true function of the mind is not to stand in judgment on God’s word, but to sit humbly under it, eager to hear it, grasp it, apply and obey in all the practicalities of daily living. Like children we will realize our complete dependence on him. Like children we will seek his truth so that we might in ALL ways grow up in him.
The promise? “…for they will inherit the whole earth.” I’m not at all sure what that means, but I’m thinking of the new heaven and the new earth that God is making for those who wish to be his children, a new creation of joy and the eternal Hallelujah! I’m glad the reward is up to him. He is far more generous than I am able to imagine!
Prayer: “Great and nurturing Father, help me not to think more highly of myself than I ought to think. Wash the pretense out of my soul and out of my life. Help me relax enough to fully put myself under your direction. I desire to live in such a way that causes you pleasure and delight. I want to live for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”