Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Matthew 5: 5

Have you heard the phrase, ‘Meekness is weakness’? It’s simply not true. And who would want to become meek if it were? Let’s explore what it really means. 

To be meek is to ‘possess quiet strength’.  It is personal power that has been surrendered to God.  For instance, when there’s a desire to lash out and set the record straight, He may lead us to be silent instead.  Strength is gentleness under restraint.  Moses was called “very meek, more than all the people on the earth.”  He led a rebellious, complaining people across the wilderness, carried their needs to God, and was patient with their weaknesses.  He didn’t lead by force but listened to God to shape his role, sometimes at great personal cost. 

When I am meek, I learn from the past and lay down my ego, but I don’t necessarily silence my voice. If God leads me to speak, I will do so from a place of spiritual rootedness rather than emotional reactivity.

I am a quiet, reserved person who filters my thoughts carefully before speaking, so I’m not one to say things I might later regret and need to apologize for. However, I also dislike confrontation. Sometimes I don’t speak up when I know I should. But meekness isn’t synonymous with being quiet. Jesus was meek when He turned over the tables in the temple because He had surrendered His right to use His power to His Father, even though He would have had the wisdom to know how to use it. 

What is the reward for being meek according to this beatitude?  It’s something more valuable than control, attention, and power.  We are told that we will ‘inherit the Earth.’   The promise of possessing the land was one that the Jewish people understood.  It comprised their early history.  They remembered their ancestors who were freed from slavery and embarked on a journey to the promised land.  Jesus wants us to know that instead of ‘taking the land for our inheritance’, we will ‘inherit it.’  It is a gift, not a conquest. 

The land we’ll inherit is spiritual ground ~ anointed influence with spiritual authority. 

The introvert struggles with being meek.  They have less trouble being quiet but often for the wrong reasons.  They hide out of fear and are self-protective for fear of confrontation.  Jesus says, “Come out, let me live through you.  I’ll show you how to be strong.”

The extrovert struggles with being meek, too.  They are prone to speak without being prayerful and taking charge before receiving orders.  Jesus says, “Restrain yourself. Your plans need to be shaped prayerfully by Me.  Surrender your need for notoriety.”

Lord, You promise spiritual influence if I first surrender. Whatever is gained is for Your glory, not mine.  Amen