The Beatitudes - 3

 Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth. - Matthew 5:5

Meek. For a long time, I misunderstood meekness as weakness. But what a stark difference the two have!

Meekness refers to a quality of being gentle, humble, and patient, especially in the face of adversity or provocation. It involves showing restraint and not reacting with anger or aggression, even when one has the power to do so. Meekness is not just about being submissive; it is about taking control of our emotions. It is common to give in to our emotions, especially anger, but it takes an enormous amount of willpower to control it. Paul says,

'In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.' - Ephesians 4:26-27

'In your anger do not sin'—What does this mean? In the heat of anger, we have little control over what we do or say. We easily give a foothold to the devil and put our relationships at risk. As the old saying goes, 'There's no use crying over spilt milk.' Similarly, words once said cannot be taken back. So, not sinning when we are angry takes an enormous amount of self-control. People may mistake it for weakness, but it is self-control, a fruit of the Spirit.

The difference between meekness and weakness is that weakness is the inability to do things, but meekness is choosing not to do certain things. Jesus talks about the meek here, not the weak. If we can control ourselves, we can inherit the earth. It makes me wonder, how much self-control do I have? A question to ponder. But it is also good to remember that it is a fruit of the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is within our hearts, self-control is a fruit we can posess.

MEEK NOT WEAK.

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