“Blessed are the sat upon, spat upon, ratted on.” -Paul Simon
From reading a lot of your comments on my past blogs, I get it. Many of you are prayerful people desiring a better life. You want more bliss and richness in your life. You want a life that feels more fulfilled and purposeful.
Me too. I still have some rust and crust that has built up in my life? I’m always ready for more encouragement and blessings.
Well, it so happens that Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, specifically the Beatitudes, can give us what we want. Applying this hillside teaching has significantly impacted my life and my spiritual formation. And it can do the same for you.
Believe me, these words of Jesus on how to live life to the fullest are some of the best tarnish removers I know.
So Here’s my take-aways from Jesus’ words on that hillside. Make them yours and rejoice.
1. Get ready to be a zero
2. Wait
3. Show gentleness and mercy
4. Strive for peace
5. Leap for joy
6. Be a bit salty
7. Pick some fruit
8. Burn some dross
Get Ready To Be A Zero
You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. Matthew 5:3.-The Message Translation
A ZERO? Yes, you need to become a “spiritual zero” Kind of a downer, isn’t it? But we must acknowledge how our ways of trying to run our lives have failed us, sometimes miserably. And we must be willing to accept that there’s a better way-God’s way.
To enjoy the fullness of God’s blessings, we have to empty ourselves of all the garbage and crud in our lives. All that crap that has kept us from the delight and bliss we can have by truly encountering God.
Trusting that he will meet our every need is the path to freedom from doubt, worry, fear and anxiety. God alone can usher us into a state of happiness, well-being and divine joy.
It’s our unwillingness to recognize the spirit of poverty, that “spiritual zero-ness” and lack of humility that we possess that stagnates our spiritual growth.
I spent a good portion of my early life apart from God. It was only when I was crushed by his powerful love, a love so overwhelming that it knocked me off my feet
It brought me to my knees, sobbing for a way out of my addiction. At that moment, I knew I was spiritually and morally bankrupt. He pushed me to my bottom where I had nowhere else to go but to him. I had to become a “zero” to begin counting again.
But God does not waste a hurt because in his eyes we are everything beautiful. He created us in his image. And his desire is to have an everlasting relationship with us.
Wait
“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. Matthew 5:4-The Message Translation
God waited for you. It might be time now for you to wait for him. Sure, you may now recognize how broken you are but you expect to be fixed immediately. Took you a while to get that way. Might take a while to put you back together.
I was a broken, shattered man, barely 30 years old and when I admitted my need for God’s presence in my life, I thought it was a done deal.
When Jesus talks about the blessings of mourning and the comfort to come, he is not saying you simply admit a few regrets and then expect all those you have harmed to forgive you and comfort you in your new found revelation.
Oh. Look at me. I’m all better. So proud of myself.
Doesn’t work that way.
A priceless vase when dropped and shattered on the floor requires a long and careful process to restore it. Each piece must find its home again. Are we so different? Jesus tells us to mourn and grieve our sins and ask forgiveness from God. Then, God will grant us the comfort we need.
We Will Find Our Home Again
So if you have shattered priceless lives in your journey, ask forgiveness, make amends for any harm that you have caused. Forgiveness may not come quickly so for you the process may be one of waiting.
But by prayer and the example of a changed life, you may, in time, realize the forgiveness you seek. If not, you can find comfort in having been forgiven by God. And that is a grace you can live with.
But please know that by the very act of making amends and asking for the forgiveness of others, you have crossed a bridge to healing and comfort that will be a blessing in itself.
4 “What delight comes to you when you wait upon the Lord!d]”>[d] For you will find what you long for.e]”>[e] Matthew 5:4.-The Passion Translation
Show Gentleness And Mercy
“Be gentle with people today. You don’t know someone’s inside struggles. Instead of being the last straw, you can be their first sign, hope.” -Anonymous.
“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
Matthew 5:5.-The Message Translation
I love that anonymous quote above. It’s true, we don’t know what is going on inside of a person. Therefore we should avoid measuring a person’s insides by their outsides.
The late Dallas Willard tells us of the worldly wise whose mantra is “Woe to the merciful, for they shall be taken advantage of.” But those who know the 
importance of God’s mercy show great mercy to others. They exhibit compassion and kindness. They have the ability to forgive. These are the ones who know that God will bless them in mighty ways not understood by the world.
Not only do they benefit from a much desired heart transformation but they also understand the profound blessing it is to others. In our world today, there is a tremendous need for showing more mercy and compassion to others. In its absence we are experiencing so many people not receiving the care and love they so desperately need.
Ghandi said it, “Be the change you want to see”. Be the person who extends mercy and love and compassion.
Show it, act it, be it.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Similar to “the poor,” “the meek” are those who submit to God’s authority and make him Lord. Revelation 21:7 says God’s children will “inherit all things.” The meek are also imitators of Jesus Christ who exemplified gentleness and self-control
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
We reap what we sow. Those who demonstrate mercy will receive mercy. Likewise, those who have received great mercy will show great mercy. Mercy is shown through forgiveness, kindness, and compassion toward others
Strive For Peace
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
Matthew 5:9.-The Message Translation
Peacemaker, not peacekeeper. Sure, it’s great to keep the peace that someone else made. But Jesus said that you are to take the first steps toward reconciliation…..toward bringing calm out of chaos. You blaze that too often “leave-it-to-John” trail.
When my wife and I have disagreements, I feel Jesus’ call for me to step up to restore the relationship. Disagreements not only cause a distance between people but they build a wall between you and Jesus. That wall must be broken down and fellowship restored. To be reconciled with Jesus restores our peace with God.
Be one that creates peace. Peacemakers create peace by trying to reconcile differences. The churches are full of peacekeepers who will not speak up when things are not as they should be. They prefer to remain with the status quo. Don’t rock the boat. Peace at any cost. Quite different from peace makers.
2 Corinthians 5:19 says we are to take this same message of reconciliation to others. We are to do it. Not let someone do it for us and then think all we have to do it keep that peace. WE MAKE THE PEACE. That’s how we reap the magnificent blessings.
Leap For Joy
“What bliss you experience when your heart is pure!k]”>[k] For then your eyes will open to see more and more of God.l]”>[l] Matthew 5:8l]”>-The Passion Translation
Wanna stir things up a little? Then let’s get into a bit of trouble. Shall we rile a few folks up with the truth. Make them uncomfortable. All you have to do is tell them how they can become a righteous person like you. Whoa! Then step back and listen to how they put you down.
You self-righteous son of a b—-. Who do you think you are? What an ego! And on and on and on.
Okay, NOW….that’s your cue….. Leap. Because now you are going to calmly tell them that as a Christian, Christ’s righteousness was imputed to you, not because you were such a good person but because you were an imperfect human being.
And they can have it too, if they just believe. They can have God’s grace shine down on them and bring them to a life of knowing the treasures that were there for them all the time.
Take another leap, a huge LEAP….for you have just given God and all the angels of Heaven a time to dance and rejoice. What a fruitful blessing you will receive just with that knowledge alone.
Be A Bit Salty
“You’re blessed “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
Matthew 5:13 The Message Translation
“You may sometimes question your value in this world and feel like you have little impact on the earth, or are weak, or small, or not powerful enough. But so is a little kernel of salt that is bursting with flavor and potency to preserve and enhance flavor!”
“Be the salt and light in the world that spreads kindness to others through words, thoughts, and actions that embody God’s goodness. In a unique, loving way, you can allow others to experience the Lord’s presence in their lives by being a good friend, child, parent, spouse, colleague, church member!” From Annette Reeder, Christian nutritionist
I’ve been accused of being a bit too salty at times. Especially when my language tends to get somewhat “colorful.” Some call it my “profane spirituality”.
I guess I am not one who thinks “give-the-person-a-pat-on-the-back-and-tell-them-God-loves-them-and-they-just-have-to-believe-in-Jesus” is always effective in getting people to change and move toward God.
God may have over-favored me with too much salt-seasoning.
As for me, I want you to have as much God-seasoning as you can get and I will do whatever I need to do, or say, to get that message out. I try to speak the truth in love but truth must sometimes be spoken in “attention getting” language. It might seem unloving but it is often necessary especially in talking with unbelievers.
Pick Some Fruit
“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. Matthew 5:6-The Message Translation
“How enriched you are when you crave righteousness!h]”>[h] For you will be surrounded with fruitfulness.i]”>[i] Matthew 5:6-The Passion Translation
Well, I don’t know about you but I do have an appetite for God. I want more of him in my life. If you do too, you will want to start picking some fruit. But what does this mean?
Speaking biblically, it means we must make the choice to pick the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control.
Think about choosing all that fruit and applying that to your everyday life. Gives me a headache if I think too hard on it. How can I do that? How is it even possible?
Well, guess what? It isn’t. Not by our old worldly, fleshy ways. Oh , sure, some days, I can make a valiant attempt at loving someone and maybe even be kind to someone. I might even be able to control my temper, that is, if somebody doesn’t cut in front of me in the checkout aisle.
I’m great at feigning meekness and exhibiting false humility. But I can’t remember one single day when I put all those fruits together for an entire day. And if you are honest, you probably don’t either.
So what do we do? Simple, but not easy. We rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us and counsel us so that we can more effectively apply these fruits to our lives.
It’s realizing: I can’t do it, God can, I think I’ll let him.
Surrender and turn it all over to him. Ask the Holy Spirit through prayer and supplication to help you work on making these fruits. a way of life. And have faith that he will.
Don’t expect to conquer them all at once and don’t expect to keep them all the time. Remember God went human through Jesus and Jesus knows what it is to be flesh and blood in a messed up and cray world.
My favorite interpretation of Galatians 5:22-23 is The Message version.
22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
Burn Some Dross
Remove impurities from the silver
and the silversmith can craft a fine chalice; -The Message Translation
Okay. Now it’s time to get rid of some of those nasty impurities that corrode our lives. And prepare ourselves to receive the blessing of an eternally faithful loving God. We want some of those gifts Paul speaks of in Galatians. We want to be made whole.
Therefore, the refinement process must begin. Might be painful. Might have to give up some old ways, some old habits, even some old friends. But it’s worth it to find the peace and serenity of living a contented life with Christ. Now and into eternity.
The rendering of useful service is the common duty of mankind, and?only in the purifying fire of sacrifice is the dross of selfishness consumed and the greatness of the human soul set free.
— Credo engraved in Rockefeller Center Plaza, NewYork.
Let’s burn some dross
Dross is the impure base metal that is present before the refining process of precious metals. Biblically, it is metaphorically used to symbolize a spiritual impurity or contaminant in God’s people.
God has turned up the heat on me more than a few times in my life. I did not know it then but it was to burn away some of the garbage (dross) that cluttered up my life and stifled my growth as a person. Under the pressure of such intense heat, I gave up some of my old ways. Even had to remove some friends from my life.
A painful but necessary process but the gain of living a life God’s way was the glorious result.
If you feel God turning up the heat in your life and are undergoing some trials, he might just be removing some of the dross in your life to produce in you a pure and holy person.
So rejoice and receive it. God is showing you the real you.
