A Surplus of Peace

“But the weak will inherit the land; they will enjoy a surplus of peace.” Psalm 37:11

Most of life is taken up with gaining recognition or acceptance. People who we call high-achievers may try to accomplish this by force of will or fighting their way to the top. Others who are quieter by nature still look for opportunities to be recognized. They may not start wars, but will still measure success by the square foot, the dollar sign or name recognition. Though we may call these people “meek”, I do not believe their retiring nature is the same quality God admires.

Both sort of people monitor how well life is turning out for them. If they hit a rough patch, type “A’s” may try to force the outcome they desired. The gentler soul will internalize, with joy or depression the results of any perceived success or failure. Even though they may not fight, they still believe power is the ultimate source of fulfillment.

I have a few football teams I follow and sometimes they depend on where I happen to live at the time. From a young teen onward I have lived in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Washington State. So, it is no wonder that I follow the Rams (the traitorous team that fled to St. Louis), the 49ers, the Raiders (oh Oakland…what happened?) the Vikings and the Seahawks. Two teams, though, have stayed on my radar ever since I fell in love with the game. I always follow my 49ers and Cowboys.

In my late 20s Patti and I would go home from church, have lunch and I would settle in for the Dallas game. This was the late 70s and they were still a powerhouse. When they occasionally lost, though, my mood was destroyed for the day. At that time we went to an evening worship service on Sundays. A Dallas loss actually affected my ability to enjoy church!

We are territorial. We want our team to win, our political party to hold sway, our name to be called first for promotions, and our kids to be at the top of their class. We are territorial with our emotions. How I feel about a situation is what matters; forget that other people may respond differently. I mean, whoever was rooting for the team that beat Dallas had an entirely different emotional response than I did.

We are territorial with our opinions; and especially religious folks. We Evangelicals say that we believe the Scriptures to be the Inspired Word of God. What we really mean is that my particular interpretation is God’s Word. Or we emphasize one portion over another, vis-à-vis, abortion versus care for the poor. Making anti-abortion the litmus test for “true believers” we may get red in the face when someone suggests God is equally (or more so) interested in the poor. You have experience it, I am sure. The Post-Tribulation people think the Pre-Tribulation are crazy. Even worse, in this decade people have substituted the book series “Left Behind” for the Scriptures themselves.

So, we fight for recognition, we grasp for position, we nurse our own emotions without considering others and we know for certain our opinion is the gospel. The church in America does not grow, it simply splits over power plays by people who think they are representing God. I wonder how God sees all of this pushing and shoving to gain favor and rank.

Yet this Psalm says “the weak will inherit the land”. This should be a blessed encouragement to each person honest enough to admit they haven’t measured up to their own expectations. You can put down the backpack weighted with personal ambition. You can unload the guns aimed at the barriers to your progress. You can stop arguing with everyone who disagrees, refrain from commenting on every fiery discussion and peacefully trust that God means to turn our dependence on power completely upside down!

Earlier in the Psalm David says, “Don’t get upset when someone gets ahead—someone who invents evil schemes.” (vs. 7b). He says that getting upset will only lead to evil. I can’t think of a truer statement. We call it “passion for truth” when it is really an angry spirit that wants its way, and wants it now!

A meek spirit is willing to wait. Jesus said it as well: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” It is time for us to act as if we believe Him. Wars are fought over “inheriting the earth.” Neighbors stop speaking to each other over property lines. People put in far too many extra hours to get the acreage which takes up their entire weekend just to maintain.

Yet, Father God says the weak will “enjoy a surplus of peace.” I think I finally believe Him. I wish I could say I believed it a lot earlier. But the more I can be at peace because I know God is my All, the less I have to work to achieve the recognition of others. And, I will also be a genuine follower of Him who was announced from Heaven as the “Prince of Peace.”