A Check Up From The Neck Up

Medical check ups are a necessity these days. At least once every year, we should, as good stewards of this physical body God has blessed us with, make an appointment with the doctor to have a proper physical check-up. It usually entails a host of tests from checking our bloodwork to heart assessments and perhaps some abdominal scans. Some may frown at this idea concluding that “If I feel fine, am not in any pain, not feeling sick, why should I go for one?” The truth is we can never know what is happening in our physical bodies. Haven’t we all heard of situations where one day someone is feeling fine, and the next day, some medical emergency has happened… either the person has collapsed or found out there is a debilitating health condition. It happens suddenly.

Well, today we are going to do a check up from the neck up! It’s by looking at one of Jesus’s discourses from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. Yes, you guessed it… The Beatitudes. The Beatitudes offer a roadmap on how to live a pleasing life to God. They encourage humility, compassion, and a strong desire for justice. By following these teachings, Christians can strive to live a life that is not only pleasing to God but also makes a positive impact on those around them.

An attitude is defined as set way in which a person thinks, feels or behaves about something or somebody. In the Greek, it is the word “Phroneo” meaning to be like minded in the way one you think and plan. In 1 Peter 4:1 (CEB), we read “Therefore since Christ suffered as a human, you should also arm yourself in His way of thinking”. Here the word is Ennoia, what takes place in our mind, that is your thoughts and understanding.

On July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. was flying a plane through a storm. Being a novice pilot, he was unable to determine the direction the plane. When he thought he was going up, he was actually going down. As such, he crashed along the Coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Sadly, there were no survivors that were reported. Attitude is actually the same thing… you may think it’s taking you up, but in actual fact, it may be bringing you down!

1. Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit, Theirs Is The Kingdom Of Heaven

Jesus was talking to those who were materially poor at the time. They were the ones who followed Jesus because the words He spoke gave them hope and reverberated with their spirits. Being poor in spirit carries with it the meaning of being wholly dependent on God. It is to realise that we are nothing without God. Being a Christian means coming to the point of knowing that without CHRIST I Am Nothing. As Paul declared in Acts 17:28, “In Him we live and move and have our being”. Do we live our lives totally relying on God… that’s the question. Knowledge and intellect is necessary and important, but it only matters and is valid if we lean on Him.

2. Blessed Are Those Who Mourn For They Will Be Comforted

To mourn is to be in deep grieving in seasons of trials. When it is too much to bear, we may cry in silence, but God knows everything and He is the best one who can comfort us. Jesus too cried at the death of Lazarus… eventhough He arrived, knowingly, after a few days. As humans, we are emotional beings. How do we handle pain and trials inour life? Do we turn to substance addiction to feel better, when we know it is all but a temporary fix? Jesus wants us to realise that pain is temporary and the storm will pass. Even in nature, He proves it… after the rain, we always have a rainbow. God will never give us more than we can handle. His promise for us is in 2 Cor.12:9 is, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”.

3. Blessed Are The Meek For They Will Inherit The Earth

To be meek is not a weakness. Meekness is defined as to be humbly patient or quiet in nature, when under provocation from others. It is where your strength is under control. You don’t allow people to walk all over you. Just look at Jesus, on the days preceding His death… He was put under extreme pressure with questions and accusations… in all of it, He remained calm and collected, knowing that it was in God’s will. Are you able to humble yourself before God, that He may raise you up? Do you look for attention from man, or are you gentle and humble in spirit… that is the test for all of us.

4. Blessed Are Those Who Hunger And Thirst For Righteousness, For They Will Be Filled

To have the right spiritual appetite is important. In all things, we should hunger more for Christ and run to the Word and not the world in search for answers. In John 4:34, Jesus gave us the fuel that drove His life and ministry. He said, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent Me and finish His work”. Righteousness in a biblical understanding describes conduct in relation to others, especially with regards to the rights of others in business, in legal matters, and beginning with relationship to God. It is contrasted with wickedness, the conduct of the one who, out of gross self-centeredness, neither reveres God nor respects man. Notice that the beginning of righteousness is a relationship to God. So the question for all of us to ponder about is, are you filling your spirit man as much as you fill your physical man? Are you filling your hearts more than your pockets? Are you filling your home more than your house?

5. Blessed Are The Merciful For They Will Be Shown Mercy

To be merciful is to show love and compassion towards others regardless of how their behaviour is. It is where we look towards helping the weak, poor and forgotten. Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.When we refresh others, we ourselves will be refreshed (Prov. 11:25). In our daily lives, can we make it a habit to look around to see how we can help the neglected? What can we do to sincerely help others? Take notice to what is happening around you… the single mother who is struggling, the child who is quiet and keeps to his or herself, the teenager that is being rebellious… there are reasons behind it… let’s choose to pursue mercy instead of being judgmental.

6. Blessed Are The Pure In Heart, For They Will See God

All our actions should always have the right motive, purpose and intention and that is to please God. We must do things for the right reasons.To be “pure in heart” means to be single-minded for the glory of God. It is to have God and His Kingdom as your ultimate priority, with no competitors. It is interesting that the phrase to be pure is mentioned no less than 216 times in the bible. If God is our priority, we definitely cannot have one leg in the world and the other leg in the kingdom! Both feet must be firmly rooted in God and His standards in all things. Let us therefore check if our thoughts are clean, our actions right and our decisions honourable. Are we ensuring we are not caught up in the ways of the world? This must be our daily checklist.

7. Blessed Are The Peacemakers, For They Will Be Called Sons Of God

This Beatitude means to be at peace with family, friends and the community. We stand for the truth, speak what is right and not stir up trouble. Although we may have differing opinions and thoughts, the end result must be to speak the truth in love and not make enemies. You will never know when an opportunity may present itself for us to lead that person to Christ… maybe your task is just to plant the seed or stir a thought. After that, leave room for a continuation and not end with ill feelings or debates that leave a sour taste in the mouth.How do we handle being a peacemaker in a world made up of different people? Are we doing what is right to be a good testimony?

8. Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted Because Of Righteousness, For Theirs Is The Kingdom Of Heaven. Blessed Are You When People Insult You, Persecute You And Falsely Say All Kinds Of Evil Against You Because Of Me.Rejoice And Be Glad, Because Great Is Your Reward In Heaven, For In The Same Way They Persecuted The Prophets Who Were Before You.

People around you may judge, challenge or oppose you when you try to do what is right. The world is filled with fault finders, but we must always stand firm. The promise is surely one to look forward to… great is your reward in Heaven. How do we handle persecution in life? Are you pushing forward or giving up? If you move forward you will be rewarded. Persecution, challenges, and difficulties is part and parcel of being a disciple of Jesus because our ways are so opposed to the ways of the world. But let us stay the course and finish the race!