Self-esteem and self-confidence will not make you happy. You are happiest when you feel the deep need of Christ.
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The Beatitudes - Find out what Jesus says about true happiness and blessedness in the Beatitudes. The beatitudes aren’t commands on how to live—they are illustrations of what living for God looks like. From meekness to purity, enjoy digging deeper into the meaning and practical application of each beatitude as you go line-by-line through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
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Don’t you just love it when a sermon ends up changing your life?
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and yes, a sermon can transform your life. And it’s interesting; whenever we hear a great sermon – by almost any preacher – we come away, remembering a favorite part, right? Or a great point that was made? A special insight that blessed us. One that we’ve remembered all these years? Well, I have a favorite part in the sermon that Jesus preached. It’s virtually his first point in his sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Now, let me tell you why I am in love with those words from Jesus.
You see, years ago when I was in college, I was asked to speak in the student union on lunch break. Every Wednesday anyone who wanted could step up onto a platform where there was an open microphone and give a message. Sometimes, people would promote an upcoming event on campus; sometimes, someone would give his views on philosophy or politics or injustice. Pretty much, it was anything goes. Well, I was asked to speak at this forum in the student union. So, I rolled up onto the platform, stopped my wheelchair in front of the microphone, and shared my testimony in Jesus Christ. And as I opened my heart, I noticed that students were looking up from their books and away from their newspapers. You know, I look back, and I think that they were being polite, seeing my wheelchair. But nevertheless, they were listening to my story. Afterward, students came up to the podium with their questions, and I was grateful that a few of my Christian friends were there to help answer questions.
But one sophomore came up to me and pretty much said, “Well, I can understand why Christianity works for you. You’re in a wheelchair. It’s obvious you need God. But I just want to say, not everybody is like that, not everybody is needy.” And I answered him: “I wish they were. I wish everyone were as needy as I am.” He gave me a strange look, like, “Why would I want to be needy like you?” And then he smiled and stepped aside so others could come up.
You know, that story illustrates perfectly why Jesus opens up his Sermon on the Mount with that unconventional statement, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Right at the onset, he exposes our problem with pride. We are so like that student, thinking that self-confidence and self-esteem is really what makes us happy. But pride blinds us to the beauties of the gospel. And so, Jesus starts his sermon by opening up our eyes and saying “Blessed are you; that is, happy are you if you’re poor in spirit. If you come to me in empty-handed spiritual poverty. You are blessed, you’re happy when you feel, feel your deep need of me, when you realize you are spiritually nothing; absolutely impoverished and without me, you can do nothing.
Can you see why I love those words from Jesus? When that student gave me a strange look, me sitting in my wheelchair, I would have given anything to be able to convey to him how this wheelchair is my friend, my best friend. It reminds me daily of how needy I am, how poor in spirit I am. And friend, listening? I hope that you can look at your hardships the same way. And you can learn more about being poor in spirit with a very special gift that I want to give you today. It’s a beautiful pamphlet that explains each beatitude and why they are so precious. So, discover more about what it means to be poor in spirit. Go to joniradio.org to order your free gift called “The Beatitudes.” Order your gift today at joniradio.org and go through the rest of your day being “poor in spirit.”
© Joni and Friends