Paradigm Shift Ministries

Fall: Week Four

Blessed Are the Meek:

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

~ Matthew 5:5 ~

The English word “meek” is misleading.  It is often defined as being submissive or even spineless, but the Greek word “plaus” that is used here is a much deeper word.  “Meek” is not something that we often want to be known as, but “plaus” was an honorable adjective in ancient Greece. Some versions of the Bible translate “plaus” as “gentle,” but even that in the English fails to convey the whole meaning of this word. So as I was researching to try to get to the root of this mysterious word, I stumbled once again upon William Barclay’s The Daily Study Bible and found this interpretation: “O the bliss of the man who is always angry at the right time and never angry at the wrong time, who has every instinct, and impulse, and passion under control because he himself is God-controlled, who has the humility to realise his own ignorance and his own weakness, for such a man is a king among men!”

The theme of humble, gentle people rising to the top of society runs throughout the narrative of the Old Testament; from Adam and Eve, to Abraham (Dt 4:38), to Moses (Num 12:3), and to David (Ps 37:11). Jesus uses this radical ideology to demonstrate that His followers were to be set apart from and not to conform to the way that the world is run. In our society, we our taught at a very young age that the only way to get through life is to cheat, fight, and do anything and everything to win; ‘the end justifies the means’ if you will. That mindset is not compatible to Christ’s kingdom. It is different, and we as members of that kingdom are required to live different.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). This verse is a rally call, it was for ancient Israel, and it certainly is for the members of Christ’s kingdom. If we are going to ‘take this world back for Christ,’ then we must humble ourselves before the Lord and let Him do His work through us. Strive to be meek, strive to be humble, strive to be different, but most importantly, strive to grow closer to Jesus Christ, for He is our Brother, our Friend, our Savior, and our King.

Fall: Week Two

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.“

~ Matthew 5:3 ~

Now that we quickly got to the heart of the Sermon on the Mount last week, it is time to zoom out and refocus on the beginning of Jesus’ message: the Beatitudes.  Jesus stood up and basically blessed the normal, everyday ‘good man,’ which completely flew in the face of the honor-system of ancient Israelite culture.  A man was to be high and mighty, rich and successful, well-known and respected.  Sound familiar?  But this Jesus guy just stood up and said “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The meaning of the term “blessed” is often confused, but after looking at the Greek and Hebrew roots of the word, I found that it referred to having a kind of joy that is uninfluenced by outside forces.  Also, the structure of the Beatitudes mirrors the structure of Psalm 1:1 and a few other Old Testament verses that imply that this was an exclamation, not just a hopeful ideal.  William Barclay sums this up in his commentary, The Daily Study Bible with this interpretation: “O the bliss of the man who has realised his own utter helplessness, and who has put his whole trust in God, for thus alone he can render to God that perfect obedience which will make him a citizen of the kingdom of heaven.”

In order for us to truly “seek first His kingdom,” we need to humble ourselves and submit to the will of the Lord.  The Bible and church history are filled with the weak, the broken, and the lost who were called by God to do great things.  Look at Abraham, Moses, David, the Twelve Disciples, Paul, and so many more.  God does not want the self-righteous, independent, nor arrogant in His kingdom; He wants those who have truly witnessed His love and who whole-heartedly love Him back.

A look back at 2 Chronicles 7:14 shows us that the first step in turning back to God is to humble yourself and pray.  I urge you to take a look at yourself and realize that if you are trying to live independent from God, then you will never experience true joy.  Please talk to God this week, but more importantly, just listen; spend some quiet time in prayer everyday, and it will help re-center you and God will give you the strength to do all things (Philippians 4:13).

Faith and sports, they seem like incompatible concepts. How can you be a Christian and still go out on the court, field, pitch, track, etc. and try to physically beat your opponent? It’s not easy, that’s for sure. A youth pastor I once served with said that he loved sports “because if you can be a Christian in the face of intense competition, then you can do it anywhere.” Legendary basketball coach John Wooden stated that “sports do not build character; they reveal it.” The athletic field can be a great training ground for life. Athletics give you a stage to show who you are to your teammates, opponents, and to anyone else who follows your sport. You become a “witness” to your own life experiences. Being an athlete automatically brings with it a certain responsibility to be a role model to those who look up to you; the only choice is what you do with the opportunity.

The real key to “Christlike athletics” is having a biblical view of competition. Competition is not about winning at all costs or humiliating your opponent; it is about striving to better yourself by overcoming some sort of contested struggle. Proverbs 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Even those in ancient times recognized that competition brought accountability and balance to society. Also, the ancient Greeks (who actually first developed organized sport) required athletics in their education. They developed sports not only to better the health and wellness of their youth, but athletic competition was considered to be an act of worship. Even the fathers of modern sport, such as James Naismith (the inventor of basketball), were devout Christians, a fact that you would be hard pressed to find on Google. Athletic competition is more than just an activity, it is an manifestation of who you are as a person.

My high school track coach always reminded us that “champions are made when no one is looking.” This is so true in all of life – who you are in public is shaped and sculpted by what you do in private. Are you disciplined in body, mind, and spirit? Are you consistent in effort and attitude whether at practice or on the big stage? Are you competing for your own glory or for God’s glory? These are questions that only you can answer. These are some basic things that you need to wrestle with if you want to learn how to compete in “Christlike athletics.” Let me leave you with this verse:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. ”
- I Corinthians 9:24-27

- A part of the CLAY Team Sports Ministry Handbook