Lesson 13 Meekness
Review
I know for some of you this all feels overwhelming. If you see something in yourself for the first time or have been hurt and can’t figure out how to heal and stop yourself from tearing holes in others hearts just allow God to comfort you. This is not when we figure it all out. This is where we stop judging ourselves and find His loving arms to fall into as we look at what we have burned. We feel a peace, a release, we feel God.
There is work to come and God will not leave you here mourning. He is a God of restoration. We will not leave you here either. Resist stuffing it back into a dark hidden place, where things seem less messy and hand it over to God.
Some of you may be having a hard time mourning your own sin because the pain caused by someone elses’ sin is overwhelming and too distracting. That is ok as well. We will be working with the pain and resentment from being hurt in the next step so we can position ourselves to see what’s in our hola hoop and where transformation is available for us.
Meditation: What sin or ashes are you mourning?
Have you recognized any additional self made images of God you
have?
Step one asked you to recognize your powerlessness over the destructive reactions and plans to manage our life without God.
Step two asked you to mourn the sin we are powerless to control by admitting it to God and each other. This brings comfort and grace and sets us on a path to transformation.
In step two we also looked at how destructive worshipping a self made image of God is. Without accepting God is real and understanding his gracious loving heart we will not have the courage to do what this step asks of us. We need to confront the lies we have believed about God and come to a place of trust where we can push through our pain and fear to confess and mourn these sins before God.
Step 3
It’s time to burn your self-made map.
Step 3. I choose to surrender my free will and follow Christ example as my guide.
Step 3 is about a shift of trusting God and His plan more than your plan. It’s a letting go of the sin, addiction, idols, destructive coping skills & programs for happiness as the answer and trusting that God has the answer. That is scary. To let go of all the thoughts and behaviors that you have convinced yourself work and hold you together. To accept you could be wrong in your thinking. What do you mean I could stop being so angry, then I will have to feel my hurt? Stop faking it, then no one will love me? If I stop starring at my phone then I will feel anxious. It’s going to feel backwards often.
Happy are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5
What is meekness?
Power under control. You can but you won’t.
The ultimate example of meekness is Jesus allowing the world to crucify Him, knowing the pain he would endure. He set aside His own fears in order to carry out His father's plan to restore and connect God and man’s relationship.
Matthew 5:5 eludes to Psalm 37 which says the meek will inherit the earth. Psa 37:9 also has a description of meekness
They wait for the Lord.
They trust in God
They commit (Roll onto) their way to god.
The are quiet before God and wait patiently for Him. (A steady calm)
They don’t fret over the wicked.
They refrain from revenge and defensiveness. (Leave justice for God)
They are teachable. (Recognize the limits of their knowledge)
They are wise (True wisdom is peaceable, gentle and open to reason. Jas 13)
They are reasonable, Jas 13. Open to another person’s opinion, willing to listen and give reasons for his beliefs.
David’s response to Saul is a great example of meekness. You know his anger and fear would have killed Saul if he didn’t submit to God who asked him to wait as He prepared him to be King.
David was a Israelite under King Saul. God appointed Saul however soon there after started to not carry out God's instructions given to him through the prophet Saul. He then had Samuel break the news to Saul that the Kingdom of Israel had been torn from him. Saul remained king but God left him. God’s decided that David would one day be king and he sent the prophet Samuel to anoint him as King of Israel and God was with him. Then life carried on. David as a shepherd and Saul as King. King Saul brought David into service with him. Saul loved David. God was still preparing David for his role as king through his service for King Saul. David turns into a hero, and the Israelites notice and basically stated that David was a better warrior than Saul. God had left Saul so he didn't take that well and wanted David dead and began to hunt David. Long story short eventually David gets a clear opportunity to kill Saul but does not because the Lord had not given him the ok to do it. David even bowed down face to the ground and confessed he considered killing Him but God did not allow it. Saul loves David and they parted way. Saul as king and David as a warrior. God allows Saul's death after Saul again will not obey God. However again one of Saul's relative become's Israel's king, finally 15 years after being told he would be king he became king of Judah, 7 more years passed before he became king of Israel. When David became a hero in his late teens he could have gained support and overthrown Saul, David could have killed him. David could have pushed his way into his position when Saul died, multiply times during those 15 years but did not, even so much as protecting him. This is what having power but choosing to submit looks like.
We may not be at a place where we can give our injustice over to God, we may feel like they did wrong and I can’t let them off the hook they deserve to be punished. That is ok, it’s a process. We are in the process of becoming like Christ.
What does playing God look like in your life?
Fighting your way to the top.
Pretending to be something you aren’t to make people approve of you.
Destroying someone’s reputation for hurting you.
Aligning people to your side?
Lying to get what you need.
What does meekness look like in your life?
Choosing not to fight even though you will win.
Choosing to love someone who is unloveable.
Choosing to give when you don't have to.
Staying quiet when there is something to criticize.
Giving someone grace that has hurt you instead of retribution.
Generously offering forgiveness.
Choosing to follow God’s instructions for an area of our life even when they seem to make zero sense and the entire world is telling you to do something other than what God has asked you to do.
Even if we have already made the decision to follow Christ we choose daily if not minute to minute to follow God and His instructions that we have found in the Bible. I choose wrong, often! All of us do. But we are trying to let go of control and take God at his word and follow Him.
How to strengthen you practice of meekness.
1. Study the Bible, study who Jesus is and how he related to the world and the people in it.
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. 2Tim 3:16
2.Establish Jesus life as your model and imitate it.
“We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete.”
Heb. 12:2 (CEV)
3. Acknowledge that the instructions in the Bible are not there to control you but they are for your good.
“I will never lay aside Your laws, for You have used them to restore my joy and health.”Ps119:93
4. Keep God not man the focus of your life.
“Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.”
Pr. 3:6 (Mes)
I always think of Peter when Jesus asked HIM to walk on water to get to him. Peter did it immediately but as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus he sank.
5. Find peace with what God allows in your life.
We accept our lot in life without resisting or disputing it with God and accept that lot with the belief that God is good.
6. Accept God made you as you needed to be in order to fulfill his plan in you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made with all your imperfections.
7. Embrace God's Power, given through his spirit.
“I will put My Spirit in you and enable you to live by My laws.”Ezek. 36:27 (GW)
“Anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure.” Gal. 3:10a (Mes)
“I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.” Phil. 4:13 (GN)
Questions
Are you still trying to play God, remain in control?
What is stopping you from following God's instruction for your life?
Can you identify an area that you are holding onto convinced that your way is better than Gods?