What does it mean to be truly happy? In our world, I'm afraid we hear more about people fighting depression and anxiety than being happy. How can we help find our happiness? The definition of happy is: a feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. Let's change from happy to blessed. The formal definition of blessed is: made holy, consecrated. Being blessed is a persistent state of mind, not a fleeting feeling. It's not about how we feel, being happy or sad. It's about what we know.
In Matthew 5, Jesus covers the Beatitudes. Grace comes first, and then obedience. Look at how these all start. They start with Blessed are and not Thou shalt not. Jesus takes the Ten Commandments and focuses on the kind of happiness that God wants for all of us. And what is possibly waiting for us in heaven?
Matthew 5:3-12, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What does that mean? Well, it took me a bit to understand it myself. Remember that we can do nothing without God. We can do all things with Christ Jesus. We don't do things in our own strength, but we do them in his strength. So I guess you can say it's a keen awareness of our nothingness before God. We are humbled to realize we need God for everything.
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. In other words, blessed are those who know the world's brokenness. They grieve over the state of the world. These people shall be comforted by God. It's not about mourning for a loss of a person; it's mourning for the state of the mindset of the world. By staying focused on God, he comforts and guides us through it.
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Meekness isn't a demeanor that one has. It's a humbled state of mind. Being submissive to God is trusting God and his goodness. In short, it's about not thinking of oneself at all. It's a constant thought of others.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. To be hungry is to long or crave for righteousness, to be right with God. This means that the Holy Spirit comes in and helps fill that void in our hearts. A longing to live in a righteous world means God has filled that hole in our hearts, that nothing is ever enough.
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. A compassionate, merciful person that is moved to action to help people suffering. If you are not merciful, then you will not receive mercy. God wants us to be merciful, and then we shall receive His mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Who among us has a pure heart? People who are renewed or reborn in Jesus Christ. People who incorporate God's heart into their own heart are considered pure-hearted. To be in fellowship with God, to have a new heart in Him, are the pure in heart.
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. God is our peacemaker. He made peace with us by sending Jesus to the cross for our sins. He wants us to be the ones to calm the chaos, to carry his peace with us in our lives. Jesus was the most significant role model in how to do this. He showed us even on the cross by asking God to forgive them; they know not what they do. That forgiveness is key.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus was persecuted for being perfect or holy, yet he was the most righteous person to walk the earth. This is for the people seeking to be more like him, which puts them at odds with the people of this world. Jesus was at odds with the Pharisees, and of course, we will be persecuted today for still believing in Christ Jesus.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Following Jesus isn't all sunny and sweet; it means we will encounter people questioning and challenging our beliefs.
The point of the beatitudes is to help us realize how much we need God. Our world makes it challenging to focus on these ten Beatitudes. But it's up to us to write them on our hearts so they can be stored in our minds, to remember them daily. Not an easy task, but one we should strive for every day. It's not a race; it's a journey. Make it a good one!
Let's Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord, for your Word. We thank you for the Beatitudes, Lord, that you show us your desires for us through them. Thank you that we can follow in your son's footsteps and that you give us Grace and Mercy every day to try to live a better life. In Jesus Holy name, we pray.
Amen.
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