"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the
earth." Matthew 5:5
Jeff Foxworthy has made a
good living offering definite descriptions of what it means to be a “Redneck”.
I recently found one of his lists with over 300 “you may be a redneck ifs……”
In the Beatitudes Jesus is saying, “You may
be a Christian if you are meek and you may be meek if…..”
1. You Are Teachable
NOT UNREACHABLE.
Meekness
is about having a teachable spirit. Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 11:29 –
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Every day we need to search our hearts to see if we have a teachable spirit. Why?
So that we can become like Jesus and teach others what we have learned. Look at
what it says in Luke 6:40 – “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone
who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.”
Are you
teachable?
2. You Are Gentle NOT JUDGEMENTAL.
How do you react when someone you know messes up their life? Do you say, “I
told you so? I could see that coming. You blew it. How could you be so dumb?
How could you be so stupid?” Folks this is not a sign of meekness.
Meekness is treating people gentle not
judgmental – “Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things
the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say
something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on
opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own
history to deal with. Treat them gently.” Romans 14:1
Galatians 6:1-3 put it this way, “Live
creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving
your critical comments for yourself. You might
be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those
who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you
think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.”
Are you gentle
or judgmental?
3. You Are An Actor NOT A REACTOR.
What
is your normal reaction when people hurt you? Retaliate? Get even? Stab them in
the back? Or do you love the person? Forgive them? Treat them with kindness?
Meekness is a matter of choice. Do you remember how we defined meekness earlier
in the sermon? Let me remind you: “Power
under control”
“Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go
buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity
will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the
best of evil by doing good.” Romans 12:20-21
“If I
give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a
martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I
believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love
cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on
others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score
of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the
flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for
the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.” I Corinthians 13:3-7
You can either react to people - or we can take control of our emotions and act
in love toward people. The choice is yours.
4. You Are Understanding NOT DEMANDING.
Look at
what the Message Bible says about this:
“If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made
any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means
anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each
other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t
sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.
Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long
enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.
He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to
cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the
time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly
humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a
selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst
kind of death at that—a crucifixion. Because of that
obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything,
ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago
dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in
praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.” Philippians 2:1-11
Do you know what the major lesson is that I
get from passage of scripture? I have a choice. I can choose to be rude and
crude – or I can choose to be patience. I can choose to be helpful or hurtful.
I can choose to be a blessing – or I can choose to be a pain in the neck. I can
choose to be self-centered – or I can choose to look out for others. I can
choose to be understanding – or I can choose to be demanding. The choice is
mine – the choice is yours.
5. You Are Tender WITHOUT SURRENDER.
Pick your battles. Don’t argue over something that doesn’t matter. Don’t fight
over something that doesn’t make any difference. But when something does make a
difference – be tender without surrender.
“A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.” Proverbs 15:1
Look at what Paul says about variety in the church: “God’s various gifts are
handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various
ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit.
God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is
behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is:
Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out
by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful: wise counsel, clear understanding, simple trust, healing the sick, miraculous acts, proclamation, distinguishing
between spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. All these gifts
have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God.
He decides who gets what, and when.” I
Corinthians 12:4-7
Meekness
is learning to disagree – AGREEABLY.
Are
you able to do that?
Christians
have the meekness of Christ.
Do
you?