Monday Morning Memo: How Hungry Are You?

We are in the fourth week of looking at the Beatitudes which are found in Matthew 5.  Each of these beatitudes tell us how to be blessed.  “Blessed” means more than happiness.  These beatitudes don’t promise laughter, pleasure or earthly prosperity.  To Jesus, “blessed” means having hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances.  To find hope and joy, which is the deepest form of happiness, we need to follow Jesus no matter what the cost. 

 

Hopefully, as we look at a beatitude each week, it will help us to understand how we can experience this hope and joy that Jesus speaks of…regardless of what is happening around us.  Yes, even when our world seems unhinged.

 

This week we are exploring the fourth beatitude and I will share it from the New International version of the Bible…and then from the version The Message…which puts it in today’s language.

 

Matthew 5:6 in the NIV reads: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

The Message reads:  "You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.”

I don’t know about you, but when I am really hungry, nothing much gets in my way of finding something to eat.  I have heard people make the comment that they were just too busy that day to eat.  I’ve never said that.  I’ve had days in my life when I’ve had an extremely crazy schedule from morning until night…but I’ve always made sure I found the time to eat...and not just once in a day but all three meals!

I think this beatitude is telling us that it should be the same way with spending time with Christ.  I need to make it a priority to rearrange my schedule, no matter how busy it is, in order to set aside time each day for prayer and Bible study.  But how many times have I gotten to the end of the day and realized I never spent time alone with Him?  Of course, I’ve usually used the excuse that I was just too busy.  Huh. I’ve never been too busy to eat…but I’ve been too busy to spend time with my Jesus?  Doesn’t sound right, does it?

Philippians 3:7-11 in The Message says this:

 

“The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness.

I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.”

In these verses, Paul was willing to give up anything and everything to know Christ more.  His family, friendships, his freedom – in order to know Christ and experience His power.  Just like Paul, we should value our relationship with Christ as more important than anything else.  To know Christ should be our ultimate goal.  But we aren’t going to know Him unless we are studying His Word and spending time in prayer.  It is so amazing that we have access to His knowledge and His power, but we may have to make sacrifices to enjoy it fully.

"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.”

It comes down to these questions:  

How hungry are you to know Christ?  What are you willing to give up in order to set aside time each day for prayer and Bible study?  A crowded schedule? Your friend’s approval?  Some of your plans or pleasures?  Whatever it is, knowing Christ is more than worth the sacrifice and I promise you will be blessed for making Him top priority in your life.  

Monday Morning Memo: Is Christ Enough?

We are in the third week of looking at the Beatitudes which are found in Matthew 5.  Each of these beatitudes tell us how to be blessed.  “Blessed” means more than happiness.  These beatitudes don’t promise laughter, pleasure or earthly prosperity.  To Jesus, “blessed” means having hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances.  To find hope and joy, which is the deepest form of happiness, we need to follow Jesus no matter what the cost. 

 

Hopefully, as we look at a beatitude each week, it will help us to understand how we can experience this hope and joy that Jesus speaks of…regardless of what is happening around us.  Yes, even when our world seems unhinged.

 

This week we are exploring the third beatitude and I will share it from the New International version of the Bible…and then from the version The Message…which puts it in today’s language.

 

Matthew 5:5 in the NIV reads: “Blessed are the meek; for they will inherit the earth.” 

The Message reads:  "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.”

I think a lot of people today are not content.  We have been so programmed to always want more, to get ahead, to do better than the person next to us.  No matter what we have, it’s never enough.  Maybe we need to ask ourselves, “Are we content in any circumstance that we face?”

Social media has had a huge impact on our lives…some things have been good and some have been bad.  When it comes to contentment, I think sites like Facebook and Instagram have played a huge role in causing many to be discontent.  I believe the reason is that we often don’t post those things from our day that don’t look “pretty”.  Those times when we lose our temper with our kids…our spouse…or our coworkers.  We don’t post when our house looks like a bomb went off or when we’ve driven through the drive-thru lane for the fourth time in one week to quickly get our kids fed… before dropping them off at yet another practice.  

Instead…we post only the highlights.  We get those beautiful children of ours perfectly posed to make it appear that they always get along and life is perfect…and then we quickly snap a picture before they start killing each other because one of them is breathing the other one’s air.  Yep, I’ve been there.  And the same can be true for vacations…jobs…marriages…even the home in which we live.  Only posting those flawless moments can make it appear to others that you don’t ever struggle and as we all know…there isn’t anyone who never struggles.

It's often hard to be content…when what you see on social media only reminds you of what you don’t possess.  They have a nicer home…they have better behaved children…they have better jobs with better pay…they have an amazing spouse who spoils them…they get to go on exotic vacations.  None of these things are wrong…but to a person who is struggling with being content…they are all just reminders of what they wish they possessed.

Allow me to let you in on a little secret.  No one’s family, home, job, marriage or even vacation is perfect.  And in the end…none of those things will bring true contentment. Yes, they can bring you joy for a season…but no possession or no other person will bring you lasting, everyday contentment.

Paul shares in Philippians 4:11-13 in The Message about being content: “Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”

The secret to true contentment is to get to the place where Christ is enough.  Nothing else is needed…beyond Christ…to make us content.  No matter what life throws at us…or what circumstances we find ourselves in…we can be content. To do this, we need to rely on God’s promises and Christ’s power to help us.  If we are always wanting more, we need to ask God to remove that desire and teach us contentment in every circumstance.  He has promised to supply all our needs, but in a way in which He knows is best for us.  Whatever we need on this earth, He will supply.  

We must remember, however, the difference between our wants and our needs.  Most of us want to feel good and avoid discomfort or pain.  Many of us want just a little bit more than the next person.  We need to realize that we may not get all we want.  When we learn to trust in Christ, our attitudes and appetites can change from wanting everything to accepting His provision and power to live for Him.  That may mean that our health may not be perfect, and our possessions may not make someone else drool.  But when Christ is enough…we can be content in knowing He will take care of all our needs and walk with us every step of the way.

"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.”

Contentment can’t be bought…but it can be experienced when Christ is enough.  If this is something you are struggling with today…why not give your desires and your wants to Jesus and trust Him to give you what you need.  Only then will you be truly blessed.

Monday Morning Memo: Many Kinds of Loss

I shared last week that I thought it might be a good idea for us to look at the beatitudes this summer…which can be found in Matthew 5.  Each of these beatitudes tell us how to be blessed.  “Blessed” means more than happiness.  These beatitudes don’t promise laughter, pleasure or earthly prosperity.  To Jesus, “blessed” means having hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances.  To find hope and joy, which is the deepest form of happiness, we need to follow Jesus no matter what the cost. 

 

Hopefully, as we look at a beatitude each week, it will help us to understand how we can experience this hope and joy that Jesus speaks of…regardless of what is happening around us.  Yes, even when our world seems unhinged.

 

This week we are exploring the second beatitude and I will share it from the New International version of the Bible…and then from the version The Message…which puts it in today’s language.

 

Matthew 5:4 in the NIV reads: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”.

 

The Message reads:  "You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.”

Too often we read this beatitude and think it is just talking about when we lose someone by death.  But that’s not the case.  As I said last week, life isn’t always easy and there are many ways we can feel loss and dealing with the pain can be most difficult.

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5, also in The Message, is a great scripture to help us understand this verse and develop this particular attitude:

“All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.”

 

Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away.  But if that were always true, people would turn to God only out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for Him.  We need to understand that being comforted can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles.  The more we suffer, the more comfort God gives us.  

 

This has been proven in my life over and over again.  As many of you know, I have a disorder that causes my body to go “out of whack” easily.  It never happens at a convenient time…because pain is never convenient.  There is never a good time to hurt and if I had my way, God would heal me and allow me to function more easily.  But so far that hasn’t been His will for my life and as a result, I have a much greater empathy for those who are also suffering.  

 

I can’t tell you the number of times when others have come to me because they are also hurting.  They too are facing burdens that at times, seem unbearable.  They also know what pain is like, whether it is physical, emotional or spiritual…and oftentimes they just need to hear that they are not alone; that what they are facing, I have also faced…and I can attest to the faithfulness of my Jesus.  I can’t take their pain away…but I can be the one to help comfort and remind them that they are not alone.

 

If my pain can bring Him glory…I know it will be worth it.  But remembering that isn’t always easy when I’m in the “trenches” of hurt.  It’s at that moment, when God often brings someone alongside me to encourage, uplift and point me back to Jesus…because they have also known pain in their life.  You see, God often uses others to bring His comfort to us, because He knows that as humans…knowing we aren’t alone can make a world of difference on our journey.

 

"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.”  

I don’t know what you may have lost today.  It may be loss of health, loss of a relationship, loss of a loved one, loss of security or even loss of emotional stability.  Whatever is making you feel overwhelmed today, allow God to comfort you.  Allow others to walk this road with you so they can point you to Jesus.  And remember, every trial you endure will help you comfort other people who are going through similar troubles…so while you are looking up to your Jesus…look around for those who may not know to look to Him.

Monday Morning Memo: At the End of Your Rope

I’ve come to the conclusion that life isn’t always easy.  Pretty profound, huh?  If I could talk with each of you, I’m guessing you have probably already figured that out.    We all know from experience that our life can change in an instant, and we can go from feeling content, to feeling overwhelmed, or from feeling blessed to feeling lonely or disappointed.  

I was thinking about this recently and the Beatitudes kept coming to my mind and so I got my Bible and re-read them.  They are found in Matthew 5 and they read like this:

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.  He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
  Blessed are those who mourn, 
   for they will be comforted. 
 Blessed are the meek, 
   for they will inherit the earth. 
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
   for they will be filled. 
Blessed are the merciful, 
   for they will be shown mercy. 
Blessed are the pure in heart, 
   for they will see God. 
Blessed are the peacemakers, 
   for they will be called children of God. 
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, 
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.   Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Each of these beatitudes tell us how to be blessed.  “Blessed” means more than happiness.  These beatitudes don’t promise laughter, pleasure or earthly prosperity.  To Jesus, “blessed” means having hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances.  To find hope and joy, which is the deepest form of happiness, we need to follow Jesus no matter what the cost. 

Since we know life isn’t always easy…and our world seems to be rather unhinged these days…I thought it might be a good idea for us to look at each of these beatitudes this summer.  Hopefully it will help us to understand how we can experience this hope and joy that Jesus speaks of…regardless of what is happening around us.  

We will explore one beatitude each week and we will look at them from the version The Message, which puts it in today’s language.  So today’s is:

Matthew 5:3 - "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.”

Have you ever felt like you were at the end of your rope?  I’ve heard people say they were at the end of their rope, and they had to tie a knot in the rope and hang on.  It’s that feeling when you’ve done all you can do, and you just don’t know what else to do.  This beatitude is telling us that when we get to that point, that’s when God can take over.  That’s when we can give up trying to have control and let Him have control.  Ouch.  I don’t find that to be easy.

James 4:7-10, also in The Message version, tells us what we need to do to get to this place of surrender.   “So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.”

These verses are telling us that if we really want to be blessed and be near to God and allow Him to take control, we first need to submit to God.  Yes, this is often easier said than done…but if we can learn to yield to His authority and His will, committing our life to Him and His control, I think we will begin to realize how blessed we are.

Secondly, we need to resist the devil.  We need to be intentional and not allow Satan to entice and tempt us.  We know that God and the devil are at war, but we know who will win in the end.  But Satan is here now, and he is trying to win us over to his evil cause.  With the Holy Spirit’s power, we can resist the devil and he will flee from us.

Third, we need to lead a pure life.  We are to ask God to cleanse us from our sin, replacing our desire to sin with our desire to experience God’s purity.  It is possible to have our past completely washed away…all we need to do is ask…and He is willing to forgive us so we can lead a pure life.

Fourth, we are supposed to grieve with sincere sorrow for our sins.  Don’t be afraid to express deep heartfelt sorrow for what you have done.  Do you ever sin and then not really feel too bad about doing it?  Gossiping…lying…cheating…etc…can often be seen as just “small” sins and nothing that grieves God.  Every sin breaks God’s heart and for us to be truly blessed, we need to grieve over our sins and sincerely vow to quit repeating them.

And last, we need to humble ourselves before the Lord, and He will lift us up.  Humbling ourselves means recognizing that our worth comes from God alone.  To be humble involves working with His power according to His guidance, not with our own independent effort.  Although we do not deserve God’s favor, He reaches out to us in love and gives us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings.

So much to comprehend…and that’s just the first beatitude…but I think it is a great place to start.  Once we can grasp what it really looks like to let God have complete control…we can begin to experience the hope and joy that He offers us…and we won’t even need that know we tied in our rope 