"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth"
Jesus again gives us a different measure of success in this beatitude just as He has in all the others. Most people say that the person who is aggressive and pushes to get their way is the successful person.
But Jesus says, no, it is the person who has complete control over their strength, power, and emotion who is blessed. It is the person who can rein in their desires and their anger that is the successful person.
This makes no sense in almost every culture because success is measured by your material possessions and the power to order others to do what you want. But Jesus does not measure ultimate success in these terms. He tells us in various places in the scripture and directly in Mark 12:30,31 that it is loving relationships that are true, ultimate success.
When you grasp this, you realize that Jesus is totally correct. If you want deep interactive and caring relationships, you must have your emotions, aggressiveness, and desires under control. Relationships are not like possessions, power, and money. They require give and take, selflessness, and even sacrifice -- whether the relationship is with God, spouse, children, colleagues, friends, etc.
You cannot sustain quality relationships if you are constantly angry, rebellious, or selfish. All of us instinctively know that relationships matter most. No one ever says on their death bed, “I wish I had spent more time at the office.” We wish we had spent more time with our family, with our friend, with God. It is relationships that matter most and that requires meekness, gentleness, and deference.
How do I know if I have developed meekness?
Can you control your anger?
Do others (especially bosses) consider you a rebel?
Can you give up your thing and do their thing out of deference?
These are the basic meekness tests. Can you grow in these areas? “Yes” or Jesus would not have put this information in the Scriptures.
How do you do this? Meditate on verses dealing with your being meek.
James 1:25,26. See yourself as being slow to speak, slow to anger, and quick to listen.
Ephesians 6:1. See yourself obeying and following the directions of your God-given authorities instead of fighting them.
Matthew 7:1-3. See yourself not judging the personal preferences of others around you. It does not matter if they dress differently. It does not matter if they like different pursuits. It does not matter if they talk differently. You are not their judge. Even if you are their official authority, don't make a decision on a surface basis.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz