“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3-10
One of the greatest problems I have seen in the lives of Christians while serving as a pastor, is the difficulty so many Christians have with their attitudes. It is so easy to allow a sour or bad attitude to ruin your testimony and cause unsaved people to believe that Christians are hypocrites.
Sometimes a person’s attitude is so bad it seems beyond repair. A little boy was visiting his grandfather’s farm. His grandfather was a rather stern, old-fashioned Baptist. The little boy went out to the barnyard and saw the chickens pecking on the ground and running around playing. He said, “Nope, they ain’t got it.” Then he saw a little colt running around in the corral kicking up his heels. The little boy said, “Nope, he ain’t got it.” They he saw the donkey with a long, furrowed and sad face. The little boy said, “Yep, he’s got it.” The grandfather asked, “Son, what is it that the donkey has that the chickens and the colt didn’t have?” The boy answered, “That’s easy to answer granddad. Look at that donkey’s long, sad face. He has the same religion you have!”
If our attitude is not in keeping with the Lordship of Christ, others will assume that our faith is sad and empty. Jesus shared the Beatitudes to ensure that we know the kind of attitudes we ought to have in our lives.
Eight times in these verses Jesus tells us that He wants us to be blessed and happy. It is important to remember that Jesus came to bless us; yes, and to bless all who will trust and follow Him. Remember Jesus loves you and I pray you have a blessed week.
