But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.  Psalm. 37:11

I unclenched my teeth. Again.  The stress of the situation had me grinding my molars which gave me a headache.  Again. The constant drama and the strain made me miserable and I had a hunch I was making other folks miserable, too.

Just the next day I felt totally at peace.  No more headaches. No more angst.  How did I get from misery to joy in one short day?  It wasn’t because I got my way.  It was because I surrendered my way.

How do you get from tension to peace? There is a path from one to the other. It is the path of surrender.

Sometimes you have to stand up for what is right and stay standing no matter who tries to knock you down.  Other times it is the godly course to step aside.  The trouble is telling the difference.  God is good to tell us, though, when we are willing to listen.  Sometimes you have to ask:
What is the worst thing that will happen if no one listens to me?

• If God’s name will be dishonored or if a hardship will happen to His people, then we must stand, no matter what.
• If money will be spent unnecessarily — well, that maybe isn’t so important.  Money is never as important as people.  Mistakes that cost only money are not the truly expensive ones.  Mistakes that alienate people are the ones we can’t afford.  Many costly errors have been made in the effort to save a few dollars.
• If unnecessary trouble will occur — that doesn’t matter so much, either. People will make mistakes and trouble will follow.  It’s just part of life.   If no one will listen to you saying “this is a mistake,”  look at it as an opportunity to show Christian character.  Graciously allow them to fail, and then make sure you don’t say, “Told you so!”
• If my feelings will be hurt because no one cares what I think — not important, either.  While I can’t do anything about others, I do have power over my own feelings and actions. God will give me grace to conquer my hurt feelings.

The truth  of the Scripture verse applies in more than one way.  Here is a simple one: If I am not angry and stressed, trying to control my world, then I have rest and peace.  I have a world full of good things to enjoy, and time and energy to enjoy them, because I’m not absorbed with getting my own way.

Meekness, surrender, takes strength.  It takes strength of character to say, “I don’t have to be the one in charge.” (Every two-year-old knows how to be assertive. It comes naturally.)

It takes strength of faith to say, “You are the Sovereign God. You are in control. I trust You to make this situation come out right in spite of the wrong way they are going.

And it takes a strength of love to say, “I am going to love and forgive, no matter how others feel and act toward me.”

Praying Together: Lord, help us to be able to tell the difference between things that require us to stand for You, and things that are just our own ideas.  Grant us true strength, the strength to surrender our control.  And we ask for true faith, trusting You to take care of the problem in your own way.