Beatitudes

“Remember who you are. Don’t compromise for anyone, for any reason. You are a child of the Almighty God. Live that truth.” (Lysa Terkeurst) We have come to the end of our look at the Beatitudes (or the “be attitudes” as I like to call them). I feel like I’ve been on an emotional operating table, where my heart has been investigated, dissected and then popped back together again, but in a (hopefully) better working order! There is so much…

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:10) This Beatitude feels like a heavy one, and in many ways it is. No-one wants to be persecuted; no-one actively seeks it out. Yet, we are told that when it happens (whatever form that might take), we’re blessed?! What?! It doesn’t really feel like a blessing! It is important to note right at the beginning that Jesus is talking about being persecuted…

“Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9) We live in a world that is broken and full of injustice. In just these past few weeks, we have mourned over the abduction and murder of Sarah Everard and been saddened to the core by the murder of members of the Asian community in the USA. It seems every time we turn on our TVs or pick up our phones we are greeted by…

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8) “To be pure, to remain pure, can only come at a price, the price of knowing God and loving him enough to do his will. He will always give us the strength we need to keep purity as something beautiful for him” (Mother Teresa) For me, this is potentially one of the most challenging of the beatitudes. I mean, they are all pretty challenging, but this one…

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7) There is a great story about Corrie Ten Boom, a prisoner in a German concentration camp, that is an excellent example of mercy and forgiveness. After her release, she was traveling through Germany, witnessing her faith. On a particular night she was in Hamburg, giving her testimony. She talked about the horrors of concentration camps, the mistreatment, the torture, and the humiliation that she and many others experienced.…

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:5) We all know what it’s like to feel hungry or thirsty. Right now, my tummy is grumbling at me, and I’m finding it difficult to not think about the packet of giant chocolate buttons I have stashed away in the kitchen. However, Jesus is not talking about your average, every day tummy grumble. He’s talking about a deep, deep longing. Think more like wandering…

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5) I have always struggled a bit with this verse. The word “meek” conjures up images in my head of a timid, quiet, submissive, little mouse of a person, who wouldn’t say boo to a goose; someone who is basically a human doormat. Not really someone who I aspire to be, if I’m perfectly honest. So, imagine my surprise (and relief) when I discovered that this is not the…

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” Matthew 5:4 In light of the current global pandemic, this verse feels quite apt. I think we have all been, or certainly know of people who are, in some stage of mourning due to Covid-19. Whether that be over the loss of a loved one, the loss of being able to be with family because they don’t live here, the loss of a job etc; there are a lot of…