By Sherry Brownrigg

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” ~ Matthew 5:12

The Beatitudes are some of Jesus’ most beautiful and challenging teachings. They are gentle in language, yet radical in what they demand of the human heart. For a long time, however, I dismissed them as lofty ideals meant for saints or mystics—certainly not for someone like me, living in the real world with real responsibilities. The stumbling block was one word in particular: meek.

In our culture, meekness is often misunderstood. It conjures images of weakness, passivity, or being easily overpowered. Who aspires to that? I certainly didn’t. I wanted to be strong, decisive, and unwavering in my convictions. I wanted to lead, to accomplish, to win. What I failed to understand was that God’s definition of meekness has nothing to do with weakness at all. In Scripture, meekness means strength under control. It is power restrained by humility. It is submission, yes—but submission to God’s will, not to the demands, expectations, or applause of the world.

He needed me to be formed

That misunderstanding played out vividly during my time working in a Catholic apostolate many years ago. I approached the work with intensity and determination, but underneath it all was a deeply rooted pride. I told myself that God had called me there to make the apostolate successful, and I took that responsibility very seriously. I measured everything by outcomes, growth, and visible “wins.” What I could not see at the time was that God didn’t need me to make anything successful. He needed me to be formed.

In hindsight, the real work God was doing was not through me, but in me. The apostolate was meant to shape my soul, to teach me humility, trust, and dependence on Him. Instead, I relied on my own strength and ideas. It was, in many ways, an epic failure—but a necessary one. Only after I left that apostolate could I see clearly how pride had driven my decisions and distorted my sense of purpose.

The greater good

St. Augustine wrote that God sometimes permits us to fall into sin for a greater good. That greater good is the grace of clarity—the ability to finally see our sin as it truly is, to name it honestly, and to seek forgiveness. That moment of clarity was a turning point for me. When I saw my pride in the full light of day, I immediately sought reconciliation with God. It reoriented my heart, my priorities, and my understanding of strength.

The Beatitudes no longer feel impractical to me. They feel deeply personal. Meekness, I’ve learned, is not about shrinking back—it’s about kneeling before God and allowing Him to lead.

Prayer:

Dear God, show me where I struggle to let You lead. Open my heart to Your grace, and help me to live the way You show us through the Beatitudes.

Call to Action:

The Beatitudes are Jesus’ roadmap to a holy life. Spend time with them in prayer today, asking Him to gently reveal where your heart still needs His grace.

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