Please welcome my very special guest Carol Peterson. I am grateful that she has gracefully accepted my invitation
to post with me She is an exceptional blogger, author and friend. I know you will enjoy her take on the Be-Attitudes. You can read more of her thoughts From Carol's Quill. Links and bio are listed at the end.
THE
BE-ATTITUDES
Matthew
5:1-12
Jesus’
Sermon on the Mount included the Beatitudes—the attitudes we are to
have to become like Jesus; the attitudes we are “to be.” The
Be-Attitudes.
Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Poverty
is not a blessing; being poor
in
spirit is.
If we are poor in spirit, we are empty and ready to be filled by God.
We understand that we are unworthy of God’s mercy and can only
enter His kingdom when we accept His grace.
Only
when we empty ourselves of ourselves—and are poor in spirit—can
we be filled and receive the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed
are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
God
doesn’t want us to be sad. But He wants us to align our hearts to
His. God wants us to mourn for our sins, for how we have hurt others,
for the misery of others, for the unsaved. He wants our hearts to
break over things that break His heart.
And
then be comforted. The Holy Spirit is our counselor, helper,
intercessor, strengthener and comforter.
Blessed
are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
A
meek person is overwhelmed by God’s greatness. When we see God in
everything, we are humbled. It is not our place to seize what is of
this world. Rather, we cherish the knowledge that—as part of our
inheritance as children of God—we inherit the earth, as well as
heaven.
Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be
filled.
This
Beatitude promises that hunger and thirst for righteousness is
pleasing to God. Part of seeking righteousness is seeking to know
God. He wants to be known and will bless our seeking by revealing His
character to us.
Blessed
are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
The
merciful are tender hearted. They feel the suffering of others and
then step out in faith to help and forgive. Mercy is about living a
life that says, “Thank you Father for placing me on the giving end
of mercy to others and the receiving end from you.”
Blessed
are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
The
path to a pure heart begins by understanding that our hearts are evil
and there is nothing we can do on our own to cleanse them.
The
only way our hearts can be cleansed is by surrendering to Jesus and
letting the Holy Spirit do the work for us. Then we begin to see
God’s glory in everything around us.
Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
This
peace is the peace we receive from Jesus, the Prince of Peace through
the Gospel. Believers in Jesus—peace receivers—thus become peace
makers as they share Jesus’ good news with others.
Jesus
is the avenue for peace between God and man.
Because of Jesus, we can enter God’s presence and receive the peace
that surrounds Him. And we can share that peace with others.
All
people are God’s creations. But only those who follow Jesus, does
God call His children. To be a child of God is to be blessed.
Blessed
are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.
The
persecution Jesus spoke of was about being punished for being
righteous. A person who sins cannot win a fight with God; but he can
attack those who try to follow Him. Jesus promised
believers that we will be persecuted.
This
Beatitude is not about being self-righteous
because you follow Jesus. It is about trying to follow Jesus’
example of living with an eye to eternal life in the kingdom of
heaven.
+
+ +
The
Beatitudes are about knowing we are insignificant in the grand
scheme; but knowing God loves us anyway. They are about
recognizing we can do nothing to save ourselves, but can only be
saved by God Himself.
When
we understand our place in the universe we come closer to knowing
God. Knowing God is His greatest blessing and why we have the hope of
heaven at all. We first need the right attitude—the “Be-Attitude.”
Which
of the Beatitudes speak loudest to you? Why?
Carol
Peterson’s mission in writing is to educate, entertain, and
inspire. Her published books provide busy teachers with creative ways
to help assure compliance with curriculum standards. The goal of her
blog From Carol’s Quill (http://fromcarolsquill.blogspot.com)
is to encourage faith in Jesus. She can also be found at
www.carolpetersonauthor.com.
