"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" Matthew 5:5
[00:00:00] Welcome back to Send Off an audio devotional that Send You Off encourage and challenge by God's Word
[00:00:05] Today on Send Off we look at how a Christian should view oneself.
[00:00:18] In other words what does the Bible have to say about self-esteem, self-imension, self-worth?
[00:00:23] Well Jesus says in Matthew chapter 5 verse 5, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit
[00:00:29] their earth.
[00:00:30] Meekness is a word that we don't use to often but it can be defined like this, a gentle humility
[00:00:36] In other words, meekness is one who is amazed that God and man can think of him as well as they do and treat him as well as they do.
[00:00:45] You see, meekness is to be the attitude of a Christian.
[00:00:49] Meekness has also been defined by cutting the word in two parts, meek.
[00:00:55] It's not thinking very highly of oneself.
[00:00:57] Jesus gives us the reasoning why meekness is the attitude for a Christian in John 15 verse 5.
[00:01:04] In John 15 verse 5 we read Jesus saying, I am the vine you are the branches.
[00:01:09] Those who remain in me and I am them will produce much fruit.
[00:01:14] For a part for me you can do nothing.
[00:01:17] You see the meek man is a humble man and it's a man that knows that they can do nothing without God.
[00:01:22] I am completely incapable to do anything good without the help of God because I am sinful.
[00:01:28] Blessed are the poor and spirit for they shall inherit the kingdom of God.
[00:01:32] Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted and then we read blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
[00:01:40] You see the meek man understands there's a pornicent spirit there's a morning within oneself understanding that we are bad in it of ourselves.
[00:01:50] You see this is opposite from what a world tells us now.
[00:01:53] Culture in the world and society tells us that we're pretty good people and that we can do a lot of great things.
[00:02:00] In fact we're so good that you need to boost yourself a steam put your confidence in oneself.
[00:02:06] You see that's what the word self-esteem means.
[00:02:08] The word self-esteem means to confidently put your trust in yourself or a confidence of trusting ones abilities.
[00:02:17] But the meek man does not trust himself because the meek man understands there's nothing to trust.
[00:02:22] So doesn't mean that we have low self-esteem yes because a Christian is to have Christ esteem.
[00:02:30] What does that mean? It is to have a confidence in trusting God's abilities and not our abilities.
[00:02:36] It's understanding what Jesus is saying in John 15 verse 5 that we can do nothing apart from God.
[00:02:43] When I begin to trust myself I will always fail myself.
[00:02:48] But the good news is that whenever we put our trust in God he will never fail us.
[00:02:54] So on one side of the coin a Christian is to realize that apart from God we can do nothing.
[00:03:01] But with God we read in Philippians 413 I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.
[00:03:09] Why? Because it is Christ in me the hope of glory.
[00:03:13] It is as the Holy Spirit lives within me dwells in me and I'm living and walking alive with Jesus that then Jesus is able to give me strength.
[00:03:23] And he is able to do anything that he desires for what is impossible with man is possible with God.
[00:03:31] I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
[00:03:35] So how a Christian to view himself is too cited.
[00:03:39] So the same point we aren't to condemn ourselves and be feel guilty because we're sinful people.
[00:03:45] No it's just for us to realize that in our selves there's nothing to trust.
[00:03:49] That apart from God we can do nothing.
[00:03:52] So we put our trust, we put our faith in God and we lean on him rather than ourselves and he will never fail us.
[00:04:00] And so once I have the coin is understanding I can't do anything without God but the other side is I can do everything with God.
[00:04:08] Why? Because it is God that's working in us.
[00:04:11] And so be encouraged today.
[00:04:14] You don't need to have.
[00:04:16] So then when we consider the word self-worth we understand that we aren't supposed to have a low worth of one's life because Jesus makes it clear all lives matter.
[00:04:26] We know that that God desires that no man perish but all come to everlasting life.
[00:04:31] But every person's life matters because they are made in the image of God.
[00:04:36] They have a worth to their life but that worth can only be found as we put our identity as we place our identity and our faith in our trust in Jesus Christ.
[00:04:47] And so that's the challenge today.
[00:04:50] Are you trusting in your own abilities? Are you trusting in your own resources? Are you trusting in your own intellect or your own looks?
[00:04:58] As we trust in ourselves as we have a high self-esteem will always fail ourselves.
[00:05:04] But instead put your worth, put your trust in God and he will not fail you because I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
