Monday Morning Memo: Are We Care-Full?

I think today’s beatitude may be one which many of us think we are living out, but if we are truly honest, we would realize we have a ways to go to fulfill it.  In Matthew 5:7 we read, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”  The version The Message states it this way:“You’re blessed when you care.  At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.”

 

I think most of us think we care about others, but I think we need to analyze whether we really care like Jesus has demonstrated for us.  We read in Ephesians 5:1-2 (The Message), “Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.  Mostly what God does is love you.  Keep company with him and learn a life of love.  Observe how Christ loved us.  His love was not cautious but extravagant.  He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us.  Love like that.”

 

These verses tell us that just like children imitate their parents, we should imitate Christ.  His great love for us led Him to sacrifice himself so we might live.  Our love for others should be the same kind – a love that goes beyond affection to self-sacrificing service.  In other words, we need to show true mercy.

 

To have mercy for someone is to go the extra mile for him or her.  It’s not caring for them because you know you will get something in return.  And it’s not just having pity for someone.  I believe we can have pity for someone but not really care about him or her.  Pity doesn’t require any action, mercy does.

 

One definition of mercy is “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.”  In other words, if you have someone in your life who you really do have reason to punish for what they have done to you, but you show them compassion or forgiveness, that is being merciful.  Jesus could have denied mercy to those who crucified Him, but He forgave them and asked God to forgive them.  That mercy filtered down to us, as we were the reason He hung on that cross.

 

This is where showing mercy can become really difficult.  Since we are to imitate Christ, we are to also show mercy and concern for those who we could just as easily hurt…maybe because they hurt us first.  It isn’t easy though to show mercy to someone who has seriously wronged us, is it?  Our first thought is usually revenge, but God tells us to be merciful.  If we are going to look like our Jesus, we need to be willing to show mercy by forgiving the person who has wronged us even though that tends to go against the grain.  Now it may be necessary for there to be some sort of punishment or restitution from the person who wronged us, but we can still forgive them.

 

Preventing suffering is another means of showing mercy.  When we donate to the Red Cross, our church or other charitable organizations, we are showing mercy.  When we hand a bottle of cold water to someone who needs it, we are showing mercy.  Any way we can help, fits the description.  The best way to show mercy is to act.  Even the words “I forgive you” requires action on our part…we really must forgive and not store it up for later use.

 

There are other mental things we must watch out for if we truly want to show mercy.  The first is not to feel like we’re somehow the better person.  Any “holier than thou” reaction negates the good done by our actions.

 

We also need to avoid announcing our good deeds.  Jesus called the Pharisees for this, but the same holds true for us.  Telling about how we’ve been feeding, clothing or otherwise helping the homeless makes us look good in the eyes of others.  If that is our goal, that may be the only reward we receive.

 

Unfortunately, mercy is only easy if the other guy is doing it.  When it comes down to you and me, it gets a lot harder.  But it can be done, as it was done for us.

 

We need to remind ourselves from time to time that the beatitudes represent signs of those who are truly Christ’s disciples.  So, if we truly want to be a devoted follower of His, we need to be willing to show mercy.

Monday Morning Memo: How Hungry are You?

Believe it or not, I have heard people make the statement, “I was so busy today I forgot to eat.”  Are you serious?  I can’t remember one time in my life when I forgot to eat.  I have always found time to put food in my mouth.  Even on days when I have been extremely busy, with a very long list of things to accomplish on my to-do list…I haven’t let anything get in my way of consuming food.

I thought about this as I read this week’s beatitude, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matt 5:6).  What does it mean to hunger and thirst not for food, but for righteousness?  

If we look at the definition of righteousness, we find it means morally right or justifiable; to be free from guilt or sin.  Since we are human, we know that on our own we can never be perfect in this, but the God we serve can be and is free from all guilt and sin.  If that is true, then this beatitude is telling us we need to strive, with everything we have, to be like Him.  To make it personal, just like I never let anything get in my way of eating, I should never let anything get in my way of being in a right relationship with my Jesus.

I love what Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7-11 and I especially like the way these verses are worded in the version The Message.  It says, “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 hisresurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to deathitself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to doit.”

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.  We too have access to this knowledge and this power, but we may have to make sacrifices to enjoy it fully.  To know Christ should be our ultimate goal.

If we really walk through each day “hungering and thirsting” to be more like our Jesus, I believe it will affect everything we do.  It will affect our speech, our actions, our reactions and our behavior.  It will make a difference in how we view those with whom He puts in our path.  We will care more and love more.  We will be willing to stand up for what is right in God’s eyes, not what is right in the world’s eyes.  We will not live each day striving to be popular and accepted, but spend every moment displaying His truths and desires for us.  Only then can we be filled with all that He has for us.  

I think it all comes down to asking ourselves, “How hungry are we for righteousness?”  Are we hungry enough to realign our hectic schedule to spend time in prayer and Bible study?  Are we hungrier when we get up in the morning to open His Word…or check Facebook?  Are we willing to give up some of our plans or pleasures…or even a friend’s approval…to thirst after Christ?  No matter the cost, knowing our Jesus more and being in a right relationship with Him will make it all worthwhile.

Monday Morning Memo: Meekness or Weakness?

This week we are going to look at the third beatitude which Jesus shared with his disciples and many other onlookers on that day on the mountainside.  I’m beginning to wonder how those who were listening reacted as they listened.  Did they begin to squirm a little more with each one He shared or were they listing in their minds which one of their friends needed to be hearing Jesus’ words?  I know if I’m honest, I sometimes listen to a sermon and spend my time thinking, “I sure hope so-and-so is listening to this.  THEY sure need to hear it.”  As a result, I miss out on hearing what the Lord wants to tell ME so I can look more like Him.

I’m confident those who were there in person were a little perplexed when they heard this third beatitude, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matt 5:5) Meek?  I’m supposed to be a wimpy, soft-spoken person and become a doormat, letting everyone run over me?  Thanks Lord…but no thanks!

Once again, we discover a beatitude which is contrary to what the world is yelling at us today.  Many would probably say that a meek person finishes last, so we need to make sure we are always pushing harder and harder to get further and further ahead.  We must make sure that everyone hears everything we say and sees everything we do to get ahead of the person beside us.  But if we take the time to understand that the meekness Jesus is talking about does not mean weakness, we can begin to figure out how this should affect our lives.  

When I think of meekness as it pertains to this beatitude, the words “settled spirit” comes to my mind.  The world can be swirling around us, but our inner spirit is not frazzled because we are putting our complete trust in our Jesus.  We commit everything we are and everything we have over to Him, knowing He always has our best interest in mind.  Then, we wait patiently (OUCH!) for Him to guide and direct us, not fretting or stewing when we are faced with the detours which come our way.

There is a verse, Psalm 37:11, which also refers to meekness.  It says, “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”  The verses leading up to these words in verse 11, help us see more clearly how we should be living and is where I find my understanding of this beatitude.  Verses 3-11 say,

“Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

A little while, and the wicked will be no more;

though you look for them, they will not be found.

But the meek will inherit the land

and enjoy peace and prosperity.”

 

Notice that we also see in these verses that if we are meek, we won’t become angry or exhibit a spirit of revenge on those who may oppose or criticize us.  We will trust in our Jesus to handle those who may be against us, giving up our right to lash out in retaliation. 

Remember, Jesus didn’t stop at saying the meek are blessed; He went on to say they will inherit the earth.  I wonder if He added these words to give His disciples who were listening that day…and His disciples following Him now…hope for our future.  I believe He added these words to give us strength to go on in meekness as we face trials and temptations.  We have our hope in our Jesus and the eternal reward which is waiting for us.  Oh, what a day that will be!  Keeping that in mind should be enough to fill our hearts with joy and strength to trust Him to handle every detail in our lives until we see our Jesus face to face! 

Monday Morning Memo: I'm Supposed to be Sad?

If I had to make a guess…it would be that you don’t like to be sad.  In fact, I’ll even go out on a limb and assume you probably go to great lengths to avoid feeling forlorn.  Hospitals and funeral homes, more than likely, aren’t your favorite places to go either.  I know all of this because believe me, I’m right there with you on every point.

Then why in the world would Jesus say to us in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”?  Does this mean He wants us to be sad?  Should our goal be to make sure we are really unhappy so He can bless us?

If we look at this beatitude through the eyes of the world, it doesn’t make sense at all.  As I shared last week, our culture screams at us to live for ourselves and do what makes us feel good, so intentionally mourning just doesn’t add up.  But I think we need to look at what the true meaning is of Jesus’ words.

To mourn means to feel or express grief or sorrow, so I think we need to look at ourselves first as we decipher this beatitude.  I think one aspect of Jesus’ words is that we should mourn over our sins, our unworthiness, and our inadequacy as it pertains to our Savior.  We should feel grief and sorrow over our iniquities and be willing to ask for His forgiveness.  Before we can become strong in Him, we need to realize that without Him we are weak and in need of Jesus to guide and direct us.  

I think we then need to ask ourselves how long it has been since we have mourned for others who are lost or are hurting.  It is easy to get so wrapped up in our own lives that we don’t pay any attention to those who are around us.   Romans 12:15 tells us that we are supposed to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn”.   Do we do either one of those things?  Do we really rejoice when others are rejoicing, or are we too jealous?  Are we willing to reach out to those who are hurting, or are we just too busy with our own problems to help carry someone else’s burden?

Mourning with others can be exhausting and sometimes unpleasant.  It may mean that we must sacrifice to come alongside those who need comforting.  But, as followers of Christ, we know that He is our ultimate comforter and He promises to do just that in this beatitude.  But there may be those whom He places in our path who don’t know anything about having a relationship with Him.  They may need to see our compassion, our desire to love them unconditionally, so they can see Christ in us first.  I’m guessing they will be blessed by our actions and I’m sure we will be blessed too. 

Hopefully we are beginning to understand that these beatitudes Jesus shared are meant to affect our daily walk with Him.  Of course the one for next week, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”, might be one that I want to skip.  The word “meek” has never been a true description of me…so that one may step on my toes!