Saturday Motivation
Saturday January 11 2020
Text: Matthew 5 v 1-20
Saturday motivation! Winners and Beautitudes! Let`s Grow to Glow!
Beautitudes simply means beautiful attitude.
As believers, we are not promised a problem free life but we are confident that God will hear all our prayers.
God is not a magician and when we seek his face in the place of prayer, we should not expect Him to answer us under our own terms and conditions or in our time as opposed to His time.
There is no doubt that God loves us and so when we go through challenges, no matter how disheartening and discouraging they make us feel, God expects us to seek His face, trust Him during our trying period and have faith that all our prayers will be answered. We should therefore hold our heads up high, and never give up.
Challenges shapes our lives. Without tests, we cannot havetestimonies.
Sometimes, God allows challenges to test our faith, trust and allegiance to Him! (Examples of those that faced challenges (Abraham, Joseph, David, Peter, Mordecai, Jesus); toonumerous to count.
We are not promised a problem free life. Problems or challenges are inevitable. However, I am confident that God will hear all our prayers.
God alone is the true source of joy and peace. For me, I derive a greater joy in the presence of God than in material prosperity and luxury.
Prosperity, despite the apparent security it brings does not lead to peaceful sleep. It is only in God`s will that we can dwell in safety.
According to Jesus, true joy does not come from fame, celebrity, beauty, wealth and possessions.
True happiness is not about how you feel, it`s not about what you have or don`t have, it`s not about what you do or don’t do. It`s about contentment in God and that in good and bad times you will keep trusting Him and doing His Will.
There are so many that have fame, are celebrities, are beautiful, wealthy, have great possessions but are not happy at all.
I have read stories of countless celebrities and famous people that committed suicide. It begs the question, with all their wealth, possessions, popularity etc. Were they not happy? Why were they not happy? What went wrong? So many rhetorical questions cross my mind, but honestly, I have no answer to them.
As believers, we are the privileged recipient of God`s favor. We are happy, are to be envied and spiritually prosperous. We are full of life, joy and satisfaction notwithstanding our outward conditions.
In the Beautitudes (Beautiful attitude) Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains who we are, why we face challenges and what we should do when we face challenges. 1. Blessed are the poor in spirit! What does this even mean? It means we should Be spiritually desperate for God; The word poor, means begging or dependent on others for support. It means being brought low or weakened to the point where you realize the need to depend on God. It means that you are blessed when you are at the end of your rope. The poor in spirit are blessed because of what the Lord has made possible. He says theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are those who mourn! What does this mean? It means Weep over your condition; It means we should mourn our sins and the mess in the world around us. It means we should weep with those who weep. It is not wrong to weep and mourn the loss of a loved one. Jesus promised us that when we mourn, we shall be comforted. Sometimes having a problem might be worth it because it helps us understand that God is all we have, and we can truly experience God`s comfort. You can never know who really cares deeply about you until you are faced with challenges. It is during your trying times that you know who your true friends are.
3. Blessed are the meek; what does this mean? Be content with who you are; It means to be gentle, considerate,unassuming. It is showing kindness and love for others. It is the opposite of arrogance and self- seeking. It is being broken but not like when a plate breaks but like when a horse is tamed; strength kept in check or controlled. Jesus says “the meek are blessed- they will inherit the earth. You are blessed and highly favored when you are content with just who you are, you are appreciative of others and you are not interested in being someone else
.4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; this means that we should Be hungry for God; it means that we are blessed when are hungry and yearn for more of God and His Word! It means that we should pursue a relationship with God as our number 1 priority in life. When we pursue anything else for its own sake, it leaves us absolutely empty. The blessing that comes with an hunger and yearning for God is; being filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit and all other things would be added as extras.
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy; what does this mean? It means Forgive others, forgive yourself, be merciful and receive mercy from God; Don`t give people what they deserve; I know this is difficult, but this is what the bible says we should do. Give people what they don’t deserve. As a believer, you must forgive the unforgivable and pardon the unpardonable. It does not mean you are stupid. It simply means you are following Christ`s example, thereby fulfilling scriptures.
6. Blessed are the pure in heart; What does it mean? It means, Be totally sincere; What does it means to be totally sincere. It means let your yes be yes and your no be no. It means not only outward purity but integrity, sincerity, authenticity, originality. It means standing by your word. Not faking. Purity allows us to see God, to see the hand of God. A pure heart starts with pure thoughts, pure thoughts becomes pure words; which forms our actions and shapes our character. (Psalm 51.)
7. Blessed are the peacemaker. What does this mean? It means; Be a peacemaker; don’t begin a conflict. Try to make peace always. Live in peace with all men and in holiness without which no man shalll see the Lord! (Hebrews 12 v 14), (Romans 12 v 18).
8. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness. This means that you should; Expectnothing in return but persecution. This is my favorite part. It means you should not expect admiration, praise or adulation. Expect nothing at all in return. All you should expect is criticism, mockery and persecution. Do not expect anything from the world. In your persecuted state, know that God is with you. He is in you. He is behind you, He is above you. God`s got you covered. Know this; never give up, never despair, never lose focus, never lose faith, be strong, bold and courageous. You know why? Christ did it all. You are blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. Remember, yours is the Kingdom of heaven.
This is the true depth and meaning of who we are. As winners, we should cultivate the winning attitude by knowing how to achieve beautitudes. Jesus as our role model and mentor teaches us this not to bring us down but to lift us up. With this message, the Lord is saying that as the Light of the world, we will shine and be crowned no matter the challenges we face if we do not give up, lose faith or lose hope.
May the Lord bless the reading of His word in our hearts.
Prayer: Lord help me to live by Your Word this year, to work in Your Will, to achieve beautitudes and continue to shine your light everywhere I go. Amen!
May God bless us all.
Shalom!