Blessed are the Meek

On Sunday our pastor continued his sermon series on the Beatitudes. He spoke from Matthew 5:5; Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. The title of his sermon, "Strength Under Control", seemed especially profound to me. I see myself more as the antithesis of this: "Strength through Controlling" or "I Control; Therefore I am Strong." Yet his message spoke the truth that in meekness there is the evidence of humility, gentleness, patience and contentedness that can only come when I begin by submitting my spirit to God. I find in my life that my flesh gravitates toward pride, harshness, impatience and discontent. I think this most often occurs when I am desperate to gain a sense of being able to correct my feeling of things being out of my control. Big mistake! Life is best lived allowing God to be in control. In this week's sermon I was reminded that meekness is not weakness, but rather it is the result of a life submitted to the Holy Spirit. It is the evidence of the awesome power of the Holy Spirit at work in my life. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.