Those approved by God, those who are square with God, those in the correct relationship with God, they are the blessed, they are the happy ones.

The Lord Jesus Christ gives us these Beatitudes, or “attitudes that ought to be.” They’re not platitudes. They are attitudes; they deal with Christian character. Christian character is what you are when no one else is around or paying attention. It is what controls you.

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

First, meekness is not weakness. Try for a week to be meek, and you’ll find out that meekness is not weakness.

Do you think of Jesus was weak? He fasted forty days and forty nights alone in the wilderness with wild beasts. Just envision a picture of Jesus making a whip and driving the money changers out of the temple. Does a weak person stand up against the majority? No, the weak person always gives in to the majority. They just choose to go along in order to get along, whether it is right or wrong.

God made us, and when God put us together He placed into our nature certain drives, instincts, and ambitions, and they are not evil in themselves. But these drives, instincts, and ambitions, need to be made to yield. The word meekness has the idea of a wild stallion being broken. Once it has been broken, it now yields to the rider, it is strength under control.

These Beatitudes Jesus gave us come in an order. The first step is this: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” That is, we must understand we are spiritually bankrupt.

Second, “Blessed are they that mourn.” Once we see our spiritual bankruptcy, then we weep over our condition. Third, we yield our lives over to His trustworthy control.

Blessed are the Meek.

A horse that is broken to yield still has the same strength, the same fire, the same drive; the same instincts; but now there’s a bridle or a bit, under the direction of another.

What Controls a Person’s Way of Life?

Man is born in a natural condition. What does one do with the natural person or an untamed horse?
One option is no control; just let him run wild.

That is what the natural man does that has no concern or thought for God in his life. That is what the majority of our population does today. There is no restraint. Just let the wild man run. Just let the horse run. ‘Whatever is natural is beautiful, and whatever is beautiful, it must be right and all there is.’ So you just do your thing. That’s self-assertion: Don’t put any restraint upon yourself. If you want to get drunk, get drunk. If you want to take advantage of people, go ahead, it is natural and normal. If you want to fight, fight, don’t restrain yourself. One way to deal with your natural wild self is just let go, live with no restraints. (until they eventually restrain you in multiple ways)

What Controls a Person’s Way of Life?

There’s a Second Option for Dealing with Life Control

It’s just the opposite of the first, it is self-restraint. The word meek means: strength under control.

Romans 6:19 The word meek means: strength under control. The same members; the same eyes; the same ears; the same tongue: but now, rather than using my tongue to curse, I use my tongue to praise. I’m still a fighter, but now I’m fighting the devil. I’m fighting the crowd that wants me to live an ungodly lifestyle. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

How We Become Meek

You see yourself as poor in spirit, absolutely bankrupt. Secondly, you are brokenhearted over it. Then if you desire to be meek, there’s a decision that you have to make. Jesus Christ will not force Himself upon anyone. You’re going to have to take that step. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek…” Matthew 11:28–30

Do you want to be meek?
Meekness is submission to a higher power. Not only must you receive Jesus, the Son of God; you must learn from and respond to the Word of God. “Receive with meekness:” that is, let the Word of God be your control. Let the Word of God be your bridle and your bit.

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

We will never have our full inheritance without meekness! Now a person who cannot control himself or herself or submit to the Spirit of God, is never satisfied. He/she will never understand the inheritance. That leads to always being controlled by the devil’s threat to take away or his offer to give—and missing everything of value.

2 Corinthians 6:10 As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

It seems like a paradox: we have nothing of this world, yet we have everything because Jesus owns it all.