Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” ( Matthew 5:5).
When I consider meekness, and how our world's attitudes are literally STARVING for meekness, I remember a sermon illustration I read that was given on Superbowl Sunday not too long ago. Now mind you, I know practically nothing about football, but I had no problem relating to this football story analogy.
The story begins with Ralph Jordan who was the coach of the Auburn Tigers of Auburn University in Alabama from 1951 to 1975. Ralph Jordan's coaching won more games than any other coach in Auburn football history.
Coach Jordan asked a former Auburn linebacker named Mike Kollin, who played for the Miami Dolphins, if he would help Auburn do some recruiting of talented players. Mike Kollin said he would be happy to help, and then asked
the coach what kind of player he was looking for.
The coach answered, “Well, Mike, you know there’s that fellow, you knock
him down, he just stays down?”
Mike said, “We don’t want him, do we coach?”
“No, we don’t want him. Then there’s that fellow, you knock him down and he gets up, you knock him down again, and
he stays down.”
Mike replied, “We don’t want him either, do we coach?”
Coach Jordan said, “No, but Mike there’s a fellow, you knock him down, he gets up. Knock him down, he gets up. Knock
him down, he gets up. Knock him down, he gets up.”
Mike replied, “That’s the guy we want, isn’t it, coach?
Coach Jordan answered, “No Mike, we don’t want him either. I want you to find the guy who is knocking everybody down. That’s the guy we want.”
Folks, that IS TRULY what the world is looking for, the big, bold, brazen, self-assertive guy who parts the crowd when he walks down the street (or, in my case, when she earns a thunderous applause upon entering her 6th grade classroom right after the recess where she punched that kid in the nose after his 5th attempt to disrupt their double-dutch game of jump rope).
The world's citizens are attracted to power - political power, financial power, business power. The women want power. The husbands want power. The media wants power. North Korea wants power. The special interest groups want power. Your teens want power. Even your three-year-old wants power.
Hey, I'll admit it, I WANT POWER!!!
But power is NOT the same as strength, and strength, NOT power, is what God's Kingdom is looking for - strength under control.
Let's back up for a second to give ourselves a chance to really understand what kind of people God wants for His Kingdom.
To be "poor in spirit" (realizing that we have zero control over anything, that we are bankrupt before God, unable to save ourselves) will bring us to the realization we need to mourn over our utter depravity as sinful humans and turn to a perfect, loving God for forgiveness and a fresh start.
So now, if we've faced up to the fact that "apart from Him we can do nothing" and that "even the good things we do are as filthy rags," we are ready to listen to God and hear Him when he tells us to put on an attitude of meekness.
Meakness is REQUIRED for anyone hoping to be part of God's Kingdom right now and for anyone hoping to inherit the earth when Christ sets up His rule over the planet for a thousand years during God's Millennial Kingdom.
And to be sure, putting on an attitude of meekness is the FRESH START that we each need TODAY if we hope to make it in life.
Here's what the world just doesn't get:
Success requires that we take the focus off of us and put it on to God.
So what exactly is meekness? Is meekness the same as weakness?
Absolutely not!
The Greek word translated “meek” is "praeis,"and it refers to a mildness, a gentleness of spirit, or humility.
Meekness is having the right to do something but putting aside that right for the benefit of someone else.
Meekness is knowing you have the power to do something but refraining to exert that power for the benefit of someone else.
Meekness is strength under control.
Meekness demonstrates humility toward God and toward others. In fact, we can't show humility toward God until we first show humility toward others. This is because humility is a demonstration to others of God's kind of love.
In John 13:34-35, God tells us:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
So then, if we are not loving one another or acting in love toward one another, everyone will know that we are NOT His disciples.
And. . . To take that to the next step, if we are not demonstrating an attitude of meekness to one another, then everyone will know that we are NOT disciples of Jesus Christ.
Paul urged meekness in Ephesians 4:1–2
when he told us “to live a life worthy of the calling we have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" (and, yes, that includes being patient, humble and gentle toward our kids when they're driving us crazy and toward our spouse when he/she is treating us with pride and smugness.)
See, meekness is not weakness.
Meekness takes a lot of intentional, loving, humble CHOOSING on our part.
Meekness is taking each of our rights and either setting it on the back burner or, if immediate action is required, exercising that action with an appropriate attitude of humility.
Maybe that person needs to be able to count on our patience (when, really, we've just about had it up to the clouds with their attempts to control us).
Maybe that person needs to see our humility (when, really, we want to give them a piece of our mind).
Maybe that person needs to feel our gentleness (when, really, we think they deserve to experience a painful punishment for abusing and insulting us --- I mean, they even said it to us in front of others!!!).
Does this mean we allow another person to manipulate us? Of course not! Meekness means we recognize the manipulation and stand up to it with an ATTITUDE of mildness, patience, kindness, gentleness and humility.
Does showing meekness seem hard to you?
I'll be honest, meekness seems hard to me because my first response in "defending and protecting " myself does not normally include an attitude of meekness. After all, don't I deserve some respect, or at the very least, a listening ear?
And right there, that whole demanding, "me-first" attitude on my part is a sign of weakness, not meekness.
When we are meek, we are not weak, we are strong, strong in God's love.
And God says that meek folks are the kind of people who will inherit the earth.
So where does that leave us now?
Well, speaking for myself, since I'm not naturally meek, it leaves me hungering and thirsting after a righteousness that I don't naturally possess.
And THAT will take us into next week's beatitude of "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled."
Meanwhile, why not "try out" for God's football team? He's recruiting the meek guys and gals this very moment because He wants a strong team today.
But realize this: Jesus plays a whole different ball game, and He doesn't want players who simply believe in Him. Anyone can believe, but only true followers passionately pursue EVERY opportunity to allow their Almighty Coach to take over EVERY attitude they own.
Meekness? Do you have what it takes?
