“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
Matthew 5:3
I live in the Bible belt, Fort Mill, SC to be exact. Growing up here in the south I heard the word “bless” thrown around like a football on Friday nights. Perhaps I became numb to it’s meaning with the rampant misuse of this word. To bless or be blessed is a highly favorable inheritance from the Lord. Not a southern mantra for frustrating situations.
Jesus says in the opening of His teaching in this passage that those who are “poor in spirit” will receive a great inheritance known as the “kingdom of heaven.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t know many in our culture who would view poverty as a blessing. Many would even find it hard to see how poverty could lead to anything other than homelessness or a poverty stricken life style.
Jesus shows us that His kingdom and His blessings are given differently than the world. True life, life to the fullest that is, is only found in Jesus. It is our moment of realizing this and accepting the depravity and poverty of our human condition that we can find that blessings, the happiness and joy found in Jesus. It is not a superficial happiness or an annoying churchy idea. It is new life in Jesus Christ.
When we come to the end of ourselves, we find ourselves in Him. We do not live as those who live in the dark, we live as the enlightened ones. Redeemed, renewed, and restored in Him. Struggles will come, and hard seasons will be present. But if it was in our spiritual poverty that Christ came to us and died for us in the first place, then how much more of a blessing will it be to allow Him to come to us in our times of weakness as the redeemed.
The blessed life isn’t just a bumper sticker. The blessed life is a life found in the richness and goodness of Jesus’ redemptive love. Blessed are you, when you realize you don’t have it all together. Blessed are you when you realize your righteousness if as filthy rages to Him. Blessed are you, when you accept the new life given freely to all who will receive Him, Jesus Christ. BE BLESSED. Blessed are you when it is Jesus, and only Him that will satisfy your soul.
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Nate Staton 
Amen! Thank you so much for sharing this. It was a blessing to my heart to read it.
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