The Beatitudes…the Secret to Happiness…

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Written by Jimmie Burroughs Email this article to a friend

The 8 beatitudes of Jesus in Matthew chapter 5:3-10, is the secret to happiness. Jesus offers to anyone, who accepts, a way of life that provides peace in the midst  of a troubled world filled with trials and tribulations and also promises his followers eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven.  

The following is the meaning of the beatitudes as given by St Gregory more than 1,600 years ago:

“Beatitude is a possession of all things held to be good,
from which nothing is absent that a good desire, may want.
Perhaps the meaning of beatitude may become clearer to us
if it is compared with its opposite.
Now the opposite of beatitude is misery.
Misery means being afflicted unwillingly with painful sufferings.”
By St. Gregory of Nyssa, 380 AD

 

Below are the eight beatitudes of the Lord Jesus Christ found in Mathew 5:3-10. The word “Blessed” is also translated “Happy”.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

 (Gospel of Matthew 5:3-10)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Being poor in spirit is being humble and open to God’s message, therefore understanding one’s spiritual need. The opposite would be to be proud and haughty and closed to any consideration or need of God or his gospel. I’m very thankful that I was open to God at a young age and was eager to receive his message of life. First and foremost in knowing happiness, is knowing the Lord. If you believe there is a supreme being who created all things, then it is logical to believe that he would want his creation to experience happiness. Unhappiness is the product of sin.

So what is our spiritual need? We are born spiritually separated from God because of our inherent sin nature. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12)  Our spiritual need is to be joined to God spiritually. Death is a separation, so when death passed upon all men, all men were separated from God. Men, in this case, is generic term meaning both men and women.

The Bible teaches that a belief in Jesus is necessary to restore our connection with God: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) The way to God is in believing in Jesus. What does it mean to believe in Jesus?

• It means to believe that he is the son of God equal with God.
• It means to believe that he died on a cross, was buried and then rose from the grave.
• It means to believe that he died to pay the penalty for our sins.
• It means to be willing to trust him to forgive us our sins.
• It means we are willing to repent or turn from our sinful lifestyle.
• It means we are willing to follow him and strive to be like him.
• It means that we are part of his everlasting kingdom.

We believe in our heart the above first and then we let it be known to God through the confession of prayer:

“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:10

 “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

“Lord I know I’m a sinner and I believe that you died for me to pay the penalty for my sins; I turn from my sin and ask your forgiveness. I desire to follow you each day forward. Thank you for saving me.”

 “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

The only way we can know happiness is when we have experienced unhappiness. This world is a valley of tears. Unpleasant experiences will come; there will be sadness but the comfort is in knowing that those who know God have a comforter who lives within. He will always be there when the sad times comes to comfort and restore our happiness. To mourn also means to be troubled by our own shortcomings as well as the world around us.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

To be meek is to be humble and open to learning the message of God. Many times people think, for some mysterious reason, that they know it all and therefore don’t need to be taught, or don’t need God’s message. This is common among the younger. There is so much to be learned. No one person has more than a tiny fraction of the knowledge presently available and knowledge continues to double every few years.

Notice that happiness comes from the learning and not the result. What a blessing it is to enjoy learning, especially the things of God; it brings happiness and also wealth.

“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  for they shall be satisfied.”

Bernie Madoff, the man who swindled billions for his investor clients, said that he is happier in jail where he no longer lives in fear. For years he lived in fear of being caught up with. He lived a life of seeking that which was wrong. He betrayed his own family and friends as well as his clients who placed their trust in him.

When we hunger after and seek that which is right, it fills us with peace and brings happiness. There is no guilt or fear to deal with.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”

In the words of Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”   (Acts 20:35)  Happiness comes by showing mercy and caring for the needs of others. It is gratifying to give to others and gratifying experiences adds up to happiness. Helping others instead of selfishly looking out for #1 is a key to a rewarding and fulfilling life. So many have discovered this to be absolutely true.

“Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.”

The Bible tells us in a number of places that we can’t see God on this earth but in this beatitude the pure in heart are promised that one day they will see God face to face. Pure in heart means to be free of all the things that so characterize this present world; selfishness, self seeking, hate, bitterness etc. How beautiful a pure heart makes a life.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,  for they shall be called children of God.”

I know you have experienced those who seem to have as their objective in life to cause everyone as much trouble as possible. Peacemakers are the opposite; they want to bring peace into as many lives as possible. They speak of having peace with God. They have peace in their own souls and long to share that peace with everyone they meet. They are filled with God’s love therefore they are truly the children of God.

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus told his disciples to expect persecution: “If they persecute me, they will persecute you (John 15:20-21). That little group of original disciples all lost their lives in time for their stand for Christ with the possible exception of John who was exiled to the Isle of Patmos. We may not often hear of those today who also have given their lives because of their relationship with Jesus but there have been many. The last century saw more martyrs than all the rest of history combined. They sacrificed their lives to stand for that which is pure and good but were rewarded with death, but their eternal reward is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Conclusion:

The above may not make any sense to some, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew7:14). But for those who do get it, it will bring a peace into their lives that pass all understanding. It brings happiness that the world does not understand; it brings life eternal in the Kingdom of God. It is given to us by the master of peace and joy, the Lord himself.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life and no man cometh to the Father but by me”. (John14:6) The way we receive a spiritual connection with God is through his son, Jesus.

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