The Third Beatitude

Happy Sunday all. Hope this day finds you well. Time for ‘be happy’ attitude three.

“Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” (Bible Matthew 5:5)

In Robert Schuller’s Book, The Be Happy Attitudes, he says, “The word meek is not a good translation in terms of modern usage; it meant something totally different 400 years ago in old England, when the King James translation was done, than it does today. A better modern translation of the verse might be “Blessed are the mighty, the emotionally stable, the educable, the kindhearted, for they shall inherit the earth.” This is the person who will be successful and “inherit the earth.” M-mighty, E-emotionally stable, E-educable, K-kind. 

So many people are not comfortable with the word mighty, because they see it negatively. “They used their might over me.” Better said, “They used their power to get what they wanted from me.” We all have the ability to be mighty, no matter what we have in this life or in what stage we are. Sorrow could be used in mighty ways. For example, Judith Lightner started MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, after her daughter was killed by one, and John Walsh who’s six year-old son was brutally murdered started a successful TV show, America’s Most Wanted. Their sorrows led him to help others through their work.

I think emotionally stable speaks for itself. I would like to add that all of us have our good times and bad times, but when we allow our emotions to get the best of us, we might quit what we wanted to do. That leaves us feeling sorry for ourselves. “Oh, poor me!” When you are emotionally stable this is the time you dig in and look for other ways. These are the people who look at failures differently. “Ok, that didn’t work. Let’s try again.”

Educable doesn’t mean those who are highly educated—though you could be. Educable people are not arrogant; they listen and not only learn from those sharing with them but also from their own mistakes. Those that are sharing are open to learning from their students.

Without kindness the mighty can use their power in the negative ways mentioned above. Without kindness your heart strings aren’t pulled by others who are going through difficult times and need support. When you treat people with kindness, you receive so much more in return. That truly is “inheriting the earth.”

Something I went through a couple of years back ties all this together. I was REALLY angry about some airline tickets. (At least that is what I think I was angry about.) I called customer service, and I was truly unkind. Actually I was a witch with a B. No matter how angry I got, she remained calm. Never once did she raise her voice. Not only that, she was understanding and (unlike me) kind. I was rude to her probably for ten minutes, and she only responded with kindness. At the end of my rant I started laughing and apologized for my behavior. She totally won me over. I then asked to speak to her manager so I could let them know what a wonderful employee they had.

She was meek yet so mighty. She absolutely was emotionally stable. She helped me to soften so I could learn. Her kindness won me over and hopefully her boss as well. I send a thank you out to her.

 In Aramaic the word meek could also mean humble, poor or subservient. But what if Jesus meant moderation? Blessed are those who live in moderation. Oh, how much happier we would be. How many of us have credit cards with balances we can not pay? Talk about worries. How many people try to keep up with the Joneses? This becomes tiresome. When a person lives in moderation he or she lives in balance. They don’t need to seek higher paying jobs to make ends meet. They can listen to Spirit and be guided in every decision.

This is where another definition of the word meek needs to be explained. One definition of meek in the dictionary is “easily imposed.” We allow Spirit or our Higher Self to “impose” on our lower or ego self. We listen to Spirit, which guides us in every area of our life. Where to work and where to live—Spirit knows, as does our Higher Self, what will bring us happiness. Spirit can be said to be synonymous with Higher Self.

This does not only mean moderation in material comforts, but also physical comforts. How many of us have overindulged? Afterwards we feel sick, guilty or maybe both. I know I have. Would we not be happier if we lived in balance, or if we lived in joyful moderation?

In moderation we have more to share. As a Course in Miracles by Helen Schucman says “Giving and receiving are one.” There’s a joy we receive when we give someone something. Let’s say Sally gave Alex a gift and Alex gave Sally a smile. Both received and both gave. What joy it brings to both of them. As we learn this attitude to move with Spirit, we find a beautiful flow in life. In this way, we inherit the earth.

Thank you for your time. I hope you all have a week of joy and wonder.