By: Undre Griggs, Jr.
Continuing in our discussion on how to live a blessed life, Jesus highlights the sorrow the blessed will endure. It is important to understand Jesus is not promising a life of rainbows and prosperity.
Matthew 5:4 (NKJV): Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
Jesus makes it clear we are unable to look at the gifts of the earth to determine if God is pleased or disappointed with us. Whether they are poor or wealthy is of little consequence, God will judge their heart. From a practical standpoint, it was important to God that we have freewill because love and faithfulness is a choice. If He promises absolute poverty to nonbelievers and absolute prosperity to believers – what would you choose? From a Spiritual perspective, there is little benefit to being wealthy or poor. As Jesus puts it, what benefit is it to gain the whole word if you lose your soul? Furthermore, Jesus goes on to urge us to remove any aspect of our lives that could cost us our soul.
Matthew 5:45 (NKJV): that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
The reverse of this is also true. If nothing on earth is worth your soul, then the reward of heaven is worth more than any experience we have on earth.
Philippians 3:8-10 (ESV): Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Understanding this, the apostle Paul considers all of his possessions expendable. He goes as far as to count them as “rubbish” when it comes to the possibility of gaining Christ. For we cannot purchase or earn our salvation, there is nothing we can do save ourselves. This perspective helps us to understand how worthless things on this earth truly are. Not to say we will not mourn loss, but to understand we will gain so much more in return. Remember, everything you lose on earth will be bound in heaven, and everything you bound on earth will be lost in heaven. Be blessed in your understanding that suffering for Christ’s sake will provide a lifetime of blessings.
RSS Feed