Growth

Meekness: Counter-Intuitive

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3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness…

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!

Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,

but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

10In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.

11But the meek shall inherit the land

and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Psalm 37: 3, 7-11

On a morning in which the free press of France has been violently attacked it may seem strange to write of meekness. However, the truth is, any morning in this world will serve up a number of wicked and violent reasons not to value meekness.

In Psalm 37 David contrasts the lives of the meek and the lives of violent. The motions of true faith in God generate meekness. Meekness is a typically non-valued quality observed in humility and gentleness. It is controlled strength, like that of a mighty horse able to respond to the slightest directive.

Meekness is counter-intuitive. Occupying the land seems to belong only to the strong and mighty. They take it. However, the inheritance of the earth belongs to those who have been gracefully brought into the rule of Christ the King. The prophetic vision of the fruits of meekness “they shall inherit the land” are only met in the Messiah. Jesus announces the reality of His Kingship and His people when he says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”  (Matthew 5:6)

David encourages his people to choose meekness in respect to God and to His promises. Throughout Psalm 37 he contrasts the lives of the meek. We must be aware of how meekness will be tested in respect to

Emotion. vs. 8
Speech. vs. 12
Consideration of the weak. vs. 14
Fulfilling your commitments. vs. 21
Doing good and being generous. vs. 26

Meekness is future-present lifestyle. It is the only commended point at which we might say Jesus is our example. The Gospel-shaped life is not looking for an example of righteousness that can be copied. Rather the Gospel shaped life is formed through the transformative power of a Saviour who gives us the grace to enter into meekness with Him. He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)

Going Through the Motions

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3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act.

6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

Psalm 37:3-7

Tai-Chi is martial arts in slow motion. I’m always intrigued when I watch lines of people at Queen Elizabeth park going through the motions. Apparently if sped up these very motions can guard your life against an enemy. These people are training their mind and  body. They are rehearsing the motions and postures of defence and some even suggest of good health.

In matters of the soul what we rehearse can save our life and shape our character. In Psalm 37 David is concerned with fortifying the soul against the faith-killing infections of envy and anxiety. When confronted with a world that is not fair and appears to be inhabited by people who prevail through wickedness, David directs his soul into the motions of faith in God.

Trust in Lord.

Delight yourself in the Lord.

Be still before the Lord.

Wait patently for the Lord.

These motions of prayer become the motions of life that shape our character with Jesus Christ. Instead of the brittle product of self entitlement and violence you can have the flexible and responsive product David latter identifies in Psalm 37 as meekness.

Let’s go through the motions of faith daily.

Things I learned on the way to becoming a Christian

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(My mom’s testimony to a church group in the early 80’s.)
There are 5 topics or truths that I want to talk about.
1.  As the title implies, becoming a Christian isn’t a one-shot, all-at-once experience, though sometimes, we get the impression that it is.   Often, too much emphasis is placed on the initial conversion experience, and not enough on what difference it made in the rest of a person’s life.
            I used to worry about not having a dramatic conversion story to relate.  A 12-year old who went to church and Sunday school before and after conversion doesn’t quite make the TV talk shows.  Not dramatic enough.
            But I didn’t become a Christian that night during the summer revival, I only began the process.  I didn’t know that then, I just knew I felt great joy the day I was baptized in the river along with my brother and my father, and I felt great relief thereafter at not feeling guilty when the altar-call was given.  And that leads to the second point.
2.  Becoming a Christian means more than just being saved from Hell.  For awhile, I was happy just having that fire insurance.  I grew up hearing nothing but fire-and-brimstone preaching—- how hot the flames were for sinners.  It was some time before I gradually became aware of another aspect of being a Christian, my third point.
3.  We are saved for something, not just from something.  It was exciting to think that I, in all my uniqueness, was saved by God for something.  I had a responsibility to him—- I was accountable to Him to keep His spiritual laws.  And I planned what I would do for Him.   I was committed, I was willing, I would serve, I would witness, I would live a good life, and I would do great things for God!  The truth is, I did precious little for God.  For we are unable to achieve in our own strength.
4.  I had part of the story correct; I am responsible to God, I am accountable to Him to keep His spiritual laws, but the rest of the story is that it is only to the extent that God lives and works through me that my life counts for Him and I can fulfill my responsibility to Him.
         God lives and works through my life by His Holy Spirit.  The great interest in the “charismatic movement” several years ago stirred me to a greater realization of what being a Christian is.  Hearing people pray in tongues and seeing them “slain in the spirit” left me bewildered and feeling a little “left out.”  I became a seeker.  I began a prayerful study of the Bible concerning the Holy Spirit.  And I found Him—He was there all the time!
          Scripture tells us that we are the temples, or tabernacles, of the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes the tabernacle has to be cleaned out before He can dwell in it.  Some things that may clutter the tabernacle are hypocrisy, white lies, insincerity, cruel thoughts, whispered stories, gossip, hard criticism, jealous longings, pride and love of money.  Mine was full of self.
          If you are having a problem with the Holy Spirit living in your life, check your tabernacle, it may need cleaning out.  God doesn’t dwell in smokehouses and wine cellars and He can’t dwell in an already full tabernacle.  And another thing, not a pleasant topic to bring up, but one we can identify with— tabernacle-keeping is a lot like house-keeping.  An annual cleaning won’t do.   Monthly and weekly cleanings are good, but a daily tidying up is what is needed.
5.  The last point is that God is there all the time.  He works in our lives while we are just bumbling along, rolling with the punches and blowing in the breezes.  He works His purpose through us when we allow ourselves to be used and He rewards us with joy and peace.  That was something else I had to learn on my own, God’s joy and peace.   He gives joy in the midst of pain, peace in the midst of chaos, and courage in all trials.
I didn’t become a Christian at 12 years old, I just started to become.  I’m still becoming.
I have related to you some of the things I’ve learned over a span of thirty years.  I’m a slow learner.  Those of you who are also becoming, and especially beginners, I pray that your becoming will be more rapid than my own.
To summarize:  Becoming a Christian happens over a long period of time. We’re not just saved from Hell, we’re saved for God’s work, not by our own effort, but through His Holy Spirit in us, and God doesn’t give up  on us.  He is there all the time.  He is our strength.

God is up to something and I’m speechless.

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18And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute.  Luke 1:18-22

Zechariah was taking his turn serving in the temple when God sent a message. His wife would have a child who would be the forerunner to the Messiah. It seemed unbelievable to Zechariah. Not the part about the Messiah, but the part about his wife having a baby.

When Zechariah left the seclusion of the temple he was speechless. He knew what God had said; his friends and family knew something had happened to him and perhaps it was from God. But they did not understand him. All he could do was try to communicate with his hands. They did not understand.

Sometimes our attempts to tell others about God’s call on our lives may be like Zechariah’s attempt. God confronts us. We have a new experience. We get a glimpse of what He is doing in the world. And we know we get to be a part of it. And now we want to tell others about it. But nobody understands us. What has been conceived in our lives by God is not yet apparent to others. And perhaps we are not yet really believing God. We lack the simplicity and conviction of speech required to express what God is showing us.

We may need a season of quiet patience, simplicity, and trust. That was the issue for Zechariah. He didn’t yet trust or believe God in the matter of the child. His ten months of silence or speechlessness was a graceful gift. When you are struggling to communicate what God is forming in you and for your organization try something: spend some more time quiet with God ‘till He forms the words in you that resonate.

Left, Left; Left Right; Left

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22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.  Galatians 5:22-26
Paul writes to the Christians in Galatia so they can know how Jesus changes lives. Its not through a proliferation of rules. Rather change comes through the regeneration of a life in the power of the Gospel of Jesus. Grace poured into our life by the Spirit of God: “we live by the Spirit.”

Now our life is lived in response to Jesus.

Now, we can “keep in step with the Spirit.”

I like to walk. Quickly. My drive is fuelled by the need to exercise and the desire to get there. However, I am able to adjust when in the company of others in order to be with them. As we start out we may each want to insist on our own pace; but soon we are in step with each other. If I am fighting against the pace, it feels like death. So it is with the Spirit of God.

If I am mindful of the Presence of Jesus with me during the day then I adjust my pace, my attitudes, my actions in order to join Him and to keep up with what He is doing in the world around me. When I am in step with Him I can bear the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

You will know it when I’m not in step with the Spirit when you see conceit, provocation, and envy. How to get back in step? As soon as you become aware: pause for prayer, confessing the sin, and accessing the Gospel for the occasion. Highlight the Cross of Jesus in your thoughts, considering Him who endured sinful people. Then, relying on His grace, move forward in His love and power.

Left; Left; Left, Right; Left; Left…