The central theme of this episode revolves around the Beatitude, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." In a society that often champions aggression and self-assertion, we delve into the counterintuitive notion that true strength lies in restraint and humility. I explore the nuanced meaning of meekness, illustrating it as strength under control, akin to a wild horse that has been tamed yet retains its power. The episode features compelling biblical narratives, including the life of Moses, to illustrate how true meekness is not synonymous with weakness but rather signifies a powerful choice to respond with grace and love. Kimberly outlines practical guidelines for discerning when to assert oneself and when to practice restraint, emphasizing that genuine meekness is driven by love for others and a profound trust in God's timing and authority.

Takeaways:

1. The content shared on Living the Selah Life is meant for spiritual encouragement and personal reflection.
2. Listeners are reminded to consult a professional for any medical, psychological or emotional issues.
3. The podcast invites individuals to slow down and reconnect with the presence of God.
4. The meek are described as those who possess strength under control, choosing not to use their power unnecessarily.
5. Jesus exemplifies meekness by choosing restraint and compassion over aggression and violence.
6. Meekness is not weakness; it is knowing when to stand firm and when to remain silent.

Links referenced in this episode:

1. livingtheselahlife.proton.me

The content shared on Living the Selah Life is for spiritual encouragement, personal reflection, and informational purposes only.

It is not intended to diagnose, treat or replace medical, psychological or professional advice of any kind.

Please consult a licensed healthcare provider or qualified professional for any physical, mental or emotional health concerns.

The views expressed are those of the host, Kimberly Lockanore, and are based on personal experience and Biblical insight, not clinical training.

Welcome back to Living the Selah Life, a podcast that invites you to slow down, to breathe deep and reconnect with the presence of God.

I'm your host, Kim, and this space is for anyone longing to become more familiar with his presence.

Whether you're just discovering what it means to pause with God or you've been walking this path for a while, I'm so glad you're here.

Each episode is an intentional pause, a moment to reflect, realign and remember that God meets us when we create space for Him.

So take a breath.

You are right on time.

Let's live the Selah life together.

Hello my friends.

In our last episode we explored how those who mourn are blessed, how God meets us in our grief and brings comfort to our broken hearts.

We saw how mourning over sin and brokenness is a sign of spiritual life.

Today we move to the third Beatitude.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

And we say inherit the earth or think the meek.

In a world that celebrates the aggressive, rewards the demanding, and promotes self promoting, everything in our culture screams the opposite of the meek shall inherit the earth.

We are taught to get ours and to fight for what's right or to fight for what we feel is right.

Never back down.

Don't let anyone disrespect you, demand what you deserve.

Only the strong survive and the weak will get left behind.

But Jesus stands on this mountain and declares that the meek, the ones who don't fight for every scrap, who don't demand their due, who don't push to the front that these are the ones who inherit everything.

And like the other Beatitudes, this one makes no sense to the natural mind.

We look around and it seems like pushy people do get ahead.

Because to be honest, just on its face, it looks like they are getting ahead.

The loud ones are the ones that get heard, the aggressive ones get promoted.

The demanding ones get their way.

What is Jesus talking about?

What does he know that we don't?

The Greek word Jesus uses here is pios.

And I've used this word.

Well, we talked about this word in a previous teaching on the Holy Spirit because it Came up.

And it's a fascinating word, but that's the word that he that's used here for meek.

And it's fascinating.

This word was used to describe again a wild horse that had been tamed.

Picture that, a powerful stallion, all that raw strength and energy now under control by its trainer.

Not broken.

He hasn't been destroyed.

But this horse is now yielded because he's been trained.

The horse still has all its strength that it had when it was wild with no training.

All that strength is still there.

But now under the direction of his trainer or training team, that strength is directed, controlled and available for a purpose.

And that is what meekness is.

I love that that is what meekness is.

It is strength under submission, power under control.

It is having the ability to defend yourself, but choosing not to.

Having the right to demand something, but releasing that right.

And Jesus modeled this in his life.

So well, let's move on into our main teaching and I am going to call it the power of letting go.

Meekness is choosing not to use the power that you have.

And notice I said the power that you have.

Whether you recognize it or not, if you are in Christ, you do have power.

Think about Jesus in the garden when they came to arrest him.

Peter pulls out a sword, which is a natural response to fight back.

But Jesus stops him.

Don't you think I could call on my Father right now and he'd send more than 12 legion of angels, 12 legions.

That's like 72,000 angels.

Jesus had power, power available.

He could have ended it all right there.

Instead he let them bind his hands and lead him away.

That is meekness, having the power and choosing not to use it.

And we see this all through his life.

When they tried to throw him off of a cliff in his ministry, he simply walked through the crowd and left.

No lightning bolts, no dramatic display of power.

He just walked away.

When they spit on him during his trial, he did not spit back when they struck him.

He didn't strike back when they mocked him on the cross saying, save yourself if you're the Son of God.

He had the power to do exactly that.

But he didn't.

And why?

Because meekness understands something that power hungry people do not.

Truth.

Strength isn't what you can take, it's what you can give.

And here's the promise.

The meek inherit the earth.

How does that even work?

The meek receive the earth as an inheritance, a gift.

They don't have to fight for it at all because the one who gave it to them owns everything and has Promised it to them.

You mean they can rest while others exhaust themselves grabbing for more?

Absolutely, that's what he said.

Let me address some things that you might be thinking, because sometimes there can be a little bit of confusion around what meekness is and what it is not.

So you may be saying, what about standing up for yourself?

Here's the thing.

Being meek does not mean that you never not stand up for yourself.

What meekness is is knowing when to stand and when to yield.

Jesus stood up for himself when they falsely accused him before Pilate.

He said, if I've done wrong, tell me what it is.

But if not, why do you strike me?

He stood up for himself.

Meekness can speak truth.

It can set boundaries.

It can say no, but it does it without vengeance, hatred, and without the need to destroy the other person.

Meekness knows the difference between personal offense and injustice.

When it's just about you, it can be ego driven.

Concerning your rights, meekness can let it go.

But when it's about others being harmed, when it's about systemic injustice, when it's about protecting the vulnerable, meekness can roar like a lion.

Jesus was meek, but he turned over tables in the temple when they were exploiting the poor.

He confronted religious leaders who were laying heavy burdens on people.

And he called out hypocrisy that was keeping people from God.

Moses was called the meekest man on earth in Numbers 12:3.

Think about that.

Moses, the man who confronted Pharaoh, who demanded the release of an entire nation, who stood between God's wrath and and the people sin.

That's meekness.

Knowing when to be bold for God's purposes and when to be silent about personal offenses.

You may ask, isn't meekness just being a people pleaser?

And I say absolutely not.

People pleasers are driven by fear.

Fear of rejection, fear of conflict, fear of disapproval.

They'll compromise truth to keep everyone happy.

And that is not what we're talking about here.

Meekness, on the other hand, is driven by security in God.

Hear me when I say that meekness is driven by security in God and nothing else.

The meek person can displease people when necessary because their identity isn't tied to to human approval.

They are able to have difficult conversations and can even stand alone when needed.

They're not trying to keep everyone happy because they're trying to please God.

And that is the major difference between meekness and people pleasing.

How do you know if you're being meek or just avoiding conflict?

Well, ask yourself, am I stepping back because I trust God or Because I'm afraid?

Am I letting this go because it doesn't matter in eternity?

Or because I'm scared of confrontation?

Am I choosing not to defend myself because I'm secure in God's opinion?

Or because I don't think I'm worth defending?

See?

Two very different answers to these questions.

Meekness comes from strength and security.

Avoidance comes from fear and insecurity.

True meekness can have the heart conversation with tears in its eyes and love in its heart.

It can set the boundary while blessing the person.

And it can walk away from a fight not because they do not have the ability to stand against that fight, but because it's strong enough not to need the last word.

When is it right to fight versus when to let go?

And this is a real question, isn't it?

And there is no easy formula, but there are some guidelines.

Fight when God's name is being dishonored in a way that will hurt others faith.

Let go when it's just your name being dishonored.

Fight when the vulnerable are being oppressed.

And maybe let go when you're the one being inconvenienced.

Fight when truth that matters for eternity is at stake.

Maybe let go when it's just about being technically correct.

Fight.

Fight when love demands you to speak up for someone who can't speak for themselves.

And let go when you just want to prove you're right.

The key is meekness is always asking, what does love require here?

And if you can answer that question because it's really hard to pinpoint how every situation will go.

But what does love require here?

And the way that you answer that question can determine the behavior.

Sometimes love requires confrontation.

Sometimes it requires silence.

Sometimes it requires walking away.

And sometimes it requires standing firm.

But at the end of the day, it's only always love, not ego, that drives a decision.

What helps me to think about meekness is that wild horse.

Man, I just love that analogy.

And if you ever YouTube a wild horse, you guys YouTube a wild horse and training, it's phenomenal.

I know I can be a little weird like that.

I watch stuff like that.

But YouTube a wild horse being tamed and you watch this majestic, strong animal come under such extraordinary control, but it's not a control for bed.

It is a control that causes him to be effective in the task set before him.

And it is beautiful to watch.

And so when I think about meekness, that's what I think about us, is that we are incredibly powerful beyond measure and we gain absolutely nothing by wielding that power in any form in every word however we want to.

It is the strength under control that makes that power shine.

Amen.

Let's move on to this week's Scripture Spotlight, and there's actually two this week.

First, we will look at Psalm chapter 37, verses 7 through 11.

And David wrote this.

And remember, David was a warrior of the best kind.

He knew how to fight.

But listen to what he says.

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Cease from anger and forsake wrath.

Do not fret.

It only causes harm, for evildoers shall be cut off.

But those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth for yet a little while, and the wicked shall be no more.

Indeed, you will look carefully for his place.

But it shall be no more.

But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Did you catch that?

The meek shall inherit the earth.

Jesus was quoting David.

This wasn't a new idea.

It was an ancient promise.

And look what comes with that inheritance.

Abundance of peace.

The person who's always fighting and has zero peace.

They're always strategizing the next battle, nursing the last wound and planning the next comeback.

But the meek, they have abundant peace because they're not carrying all those battles.

They've laid them down.

David says to wait patiently for him.

That's meekness.

The patience to wait for God's timing, the trust to let God handle what all only he can handle in its timing.

And notice.

David doesn't say the wicked won't seem to prosper because they will.

We can look around our world and see.

They do look like they're prospering.

But get this.

For a while, it says for a while it'll look like they're winning, but yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more.

Meekness plays the long game.

It sees past the immediate to the eternal.

And it knows that what looks like losing is winning in the end.

Now let's look at numbers, chapter 12, verses 3.

Now, the man, Moses, was very meek above all the men which were on the face of the earth.

And this is a man who stood before the most powerful ruler in the world and demanded, let my people go.

And this is the man who called down plagues, who parted the Red Sea, who spoke to God face to face.

But let's look at a few more things that happened in his life carefully.

When his own siblings, Aaron and Miriam, spoke against him.

And challenged his authority.

Moses did not defend himself and he could have.

God defended him.

Moses could have used his position to crush them literally.

Instead, when God struck Miriam with leprosy as punishment, Moses immediately cried out, God, please heal her.

That's meekness.

Having the authority to punish but choosing to intercede, Having every right to be offended but choosing to forgive.

When the people complained against Moses again and again, when they wanted to stone him, when they accused him of bringing them out to die, Moses did not retaliate.

He interceded for them.

He stood between them and God's wrath.

When was the last time you stood between God's wrath and people?

I'll move on.

40 years in the wilderness with complaining, rebellious people and Moses remained meek.

He confronted sin when needed, so he wasn't weak at all, but he remained meek.

He led with strength, but meekness yielded to God, not driven by personal offense.

Amen.

Let's move on to our pause prompts and remember that pause prompts are just a way to take inventory of where we are so that we can know where we need to be and better yet, where we are going.

Pause prompt number one.

What are you white knuckling right now?

What are you refusing to let go because it's the principle of the thing who owes you an apology when that you're never going to get?

And how much emotional real estate is that taking up?

When was the last time you won an argument but lost a relationship and was it worth it?

Where are you using your strength to force doors open that God might want clothes?

What would happen if you stopped trying to control outcomes and started trusting God with them?

Now let us move on into our selah moment and prayer.

Choosing Meekness with Christ Take a moment to settle your body.

Settle.

Sit in a comfortable position if you are able.

Gently close your eyes, take a slow deep breath in and then release it.

Take another breath, allow your shoulders to drop and let your body rest where you are as we pause here, Come honestly before the Father Many of us arrive carrying battles that we've been fighting for a long time, conflicts we feel responsible to manage, and some situations where we believe we must protect ourselves or defend what feels right.

Ask the Lord quietly within your heart, father, what are you asking me to lay down right now?

What struggle am I holding onto?

What am I insisting on keeping?

Let the Spirit bring clarity.

Simply receive what he shows you.

Now.

Picture the thing in your hands, in your mind.

Bring that burden to Jesus.

See yourself placing it in his hands.

Watch him receive it without hesitation and allow yourself to Feel the release as it leaves your grasp.

As you sit here, ask yourself quietly again, can I trust him with this?

Can I believe his care is greater than my control?

Can I rest in his authority?

Let us pray.

Father, we choose meekness.

We choose it because you are strong.

We choose it because we trust your care and your leadership.

We release what we've been holding and place it fully in your hands.

Lord Jesus.

We understand that meekness does not come naturally to us.

Our instinct is to defend ourselves, to prove our point, or to stay in as much control as we think that we have.

We fear that letting go means losing.

You showed us a different way.

Teach us that meekness is strength submitted to you.

Teach us that it is safe to rest when you are the one that is leading.

Open our eyes to recognize the battles we have taken on that are not for us.

Give us courage to release what no longer belongs in our hands and give us the faith to trust your timing.

Thank you for your promise that those who walk in meekness receive what you desire to give.

Thank you for being gentle with us as we learn your way.

Help us choose your path even when we have the ability to choose our own.

For it is you that came to give us life and life more abundantly.

It is in Jesus name that we pray and it is so.

Let's lean into our Selah moment.

It.

Sam.

Well my friends, that is it for today.

Thank you for listening to Living the Selah Life.

If this moment stirred something in your spirit, please share it with someone who needs to be reminded to pause and to listen.

You can connect with me on Instagram, YouTube or my Facebook group.

Not a Facebook page.

Don't really man that one, but I have a Facebook group at Living the Selah Life.

Or email me your story@livingtheselahliferoton me.

That's Living the Selah Life.

One word at P R O T O N Remember that God is speaking.

He wants to guide you and direct you and give you his wisdom for your life.

Create space to listen.

Be patient with yourself as you learn and trust that the same God who spoke the universe into existence wants to speak into your everyday life.

May you go from this place, resting not just in body but in spirit, carrying the awareness that his presence is always near you.

May you be rooted in the unshakable word of God, the Logos that ground you and the rhema that guides you.

For man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

And may you keep rising into the life he designed for you into purpose, into peace, into the fullness of his calling.

May your life become a living Selah.

An intentional pause that reveals his presence in Jesus name.

And it is so, Selah.