Matthew 5:10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The Sermon on the Mount gave us a look at Christ’s character and His heart. He spoke to people in very practical terms, showing His understanding of real life situations and earthly relationships. In all His examples, He used the heart of His Father to teach us how we should respond. We are actually blessed when others are against us because of our devotion to God. It is our reaction to what the world throws at us that interests God; and it is this reaction that will bring us a blessing.
In giving us the Beatitudes, Christ is directing us through progressive steps to blessings: poverty leads to mourning which leads to meekness and so on. Christ was teaching us how to pursue blessedness in a world that directs us toward money and material possessions. At the end of the day, the world’s blessing can easily be taken away. You can lose your power, your money, your material goods, your fame; but the blessings from God are there no matter the circumstances of your life. They stem from an attitude in your heart. It comes down to an acceptance of a Christ-like life and whether we choose to walk in His shoes or the world’s.
There will be times in your life when you will face adversity because of your beliefs. Will you stand firm or go with the flow of society or political correctness? Sometimes it is hard to go against the current – peer pressure is relentless – but God asks us to do so. He also tells us we will be rewarded for doing so.
As you review the Beatitudes, review your attitude. In what ways do you need to change? How can you develop your heart to be more God-like. Today, take time to pray about your heart and ask God to help you to prepare it for the blessings He has in store for you when you choose to be the person He’s asking you to be.
