Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth — Matthew 5:5

“If you want to be successful and happy, put yourself first. Be assertive. Be aggressive.” This is the philosophy of many in our society. In the workplace and business world some people assert themselves, to the point of taking advantage of others, in order to get all they can — money, power, prestige. Some will even lie and cheat, if they need to, in order to achieve success. In the arena of relationships (home or church) this “put yourself first, be assertive” attitude results in a person being controlling and harsh in order to get what he wants. It can also lead to difficulty in receiving criticism and the tendency to look down at others.

In this week’s beatitude, Jesus counters such a worldly attitude when He says, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” The quality of meekness is not to be equated with weakness or being a pushover. Jesus was meek and lowly. By no means was He a wimp. Meekness is a gentle and humble attitude that expresses itself in acts of kindness towards others in various life situations. It is present in a person who is poor in spirit and mourns over sin and in one who has an unwavering trust in God.

In the business world or workplace, the meek person works hard and wisely, but he doesn’t run over people or lie and cheat to succeed. His trust is in the Lord to bring him success, if that is what He wants. This enables him to treat those with whom he does business with respect, honesty, and integrity. If the boss criticizes him, he has the humility to receive it and make whatever changes he needs to make. The meek are teachable — James 1:19-20. If he is the one who has to give the criticism, he does it gently and constructively so as to help the person being criticized.

If meekness makes you teachable, it also makes you approachable. If you are going to lead well in your family, at your work place, and at church, those you lead must feel free to approach you without fear of being shut down. Meekness is essential to being approachable. Men, God wants you to lead in such a way that your wives and your children are eager to come to you with their struggles. Take a moment to evaluate whether those closest to you are eager to seek your help.

The world says that those who put themselves first and are self-assertive have it made. Christ says that is wrong. From His perspective, the meek are those who are truly blessed because they will inherit the earth. Yes, many in the world succeed because of their aggressive, put yourself first spirit. They get rich and acquire lots of stuff. But they will leave this world one day the same way they came in — with nothing. The believer may not have much to speak of in this world, but in the world to come he will be rich beyond measure. He is a fellow-heir with Christ, which means that at Christ’s Second coming, you will inherit your share of the new heavens and earth — I Peter 1:3-5; Revelation 21.