"Meekness Does Not Equal Weakness" by Rick Warren
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5 NIV)
If you want to make healthy choices to be well and whole again, you have to learn to be meek. Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (NIV).
The Bible lists many benefits of meekness: The meek will be satisfied (Psalm 22:26); God will guide them (Psalm 25:9); they will become wise (Proverbs 11:2); they will be filled with fresh joy (Isaiah 29:19).
There are many, many others. The problem is, we misunderstand this term. None of us really know what meekness is. In fact we often confuse it with another term that sounds like it — “meek” sounds like “weak.” Nobody wants to be weak, so nobody wants to be meek. But the truth is meekness and weakness are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Meekness is in no way weakness. In fact the Greek word for meekness literally means “strength under control.” To be meek is not to be weak. It’s used to describe a wild stallion that has been tamed. That stallion still has all the strength it had when it was wild, but now its strength is under control. It is strength bottled up for the master’s use. God doesn’t want you to be weak, but he does want you to be meek. The Bible teaches that it’s one of the keys to stress reduction in your life.
Here’s a simple definition of the word meek: Let go, and let God. That is the essence of meekness. It is surrendering, submitting, and agreeing to what God wants to do in your life. It’s letting God be God in your life. Let go, and let God.
I don’t know a phrase that will do more for your health physically or emotionally than this phrase. If you’ll begin to practice it in your life, it will relieve stress and eliminate worry. If you’ll let go and let God, it will defuse anger and end your hurt and resentment.
Talk It Over:
•What areas of your life do you especially need to surrender so that God can take control?
•What might keep you from displaying meekness and submitting your life to God?
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"God’s Word: Your Signpost for Life" by Rick Warren
“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT)
One night after teaching at a pastor’s conference, my family decided to go to the beach at about 9 p.m. — that’s typical for the Warrens. So there we were at Capistrano Beach, frolicking in the ocean, and having fun. Then someone in our family saw this little sign that was posted in the sand that said, “Contaminated water. Stay out.” That sign represented an authority and very clearly told us, “Don’t you dare put even a toe in this water!”
Why was that sign posted? To ruin my fun? To make my life a big bummer? No! It was there for my own health. How should I react to that authority?
I could reject that authority and say, “This is a stupid sign! I know better than this sign, so I’m going to go ahead and play in the water anyway.”
Or I could say, “This sign is out of date. It was for another time and another age. And it really doesn’t apply to me because it’s out of date, I’m sure.”
Or I could say, “This sign doesn’t really mean what it says. When it says ‘Stay out,’ that’s just someone’s interpretation. I interpret the words ‘Stay out’ as meaning ‘Go right ahead!’”
Or I could say, “I’m sure God would want me to ignore this sign, because God wants me to have fun.”
Throughout the Bible, God says things like “Don’t have premarital sex.” You may say, “That’s out of date. That’s wrong. I don’t like it. That’s your interpretation,” but it’s still the truth. Why was the sign set up there on the beach? To keep me from disease, from danger, and possibly even death. It was for my own benefit.
The Bible is filled with all kinds of rules and commands. Why? Because God is a loving God. Everything that’s in the Bible is not there to make your life miserable; it’s there to protect you. It’s there for your health. It’s there for your good. A loving God who knows more than you gave you the rules for life. If you ignore them, you only get hurt.
The Bible says, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT). God’s Word is your signpost for life.
In fact, making God’s Word the authority of your life is a stress reliever, because if you don’t have an authority in your life, you’re going to listen to all kinds of conflicting opinions. One day you’ll decide this, another day you’ll decide that, and then one day you can’t decide, and indecision causes stress. But if you decide that God’s Word is going to be the authority of your life, it simplifies your decision-making.
Talk It Over:
•How would you describe your attitude toward the Bible?
•What is the evidence in your life that God’s Word is your authority for how you live?
•Describe a time in your life when you followed God’s leading from his Word and as a result felt relief from stress or pressure.
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