"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven."
Have you ever felt like just giving up? Sometimes life just seems so difficult. Simple tasks take much much longer than you anticipated. Maybe your car is not running, or home repairs are doing a number on your budget. You have done everything you can and still you don’t seem to be getting any closer to your dream job, dream mate, dream family, or dream home. Life on the treadmill is soul-killing.
Great heroes had moments of absolute despondence. The prophet, Elijah, mightily used of God, got to the point where he was ready to simply cash it in and call it quits. Elijah had just defeated the enemies of God. He should have been feeling like King of the World. Instead, he is running for his life and wallowing in misery. He was poor in spirit.
Despair is very real even in the lives of the saints. Many heroes of the faith have reported experiencing what has been termed a dark night of the soul. Mother Theresa who worked to love and care for millions of the world’s outcasts even went through this sort of feeling. She was poor in spirit.
Being poor in spirit we often feel like we are losers and don’t deserve to live. Our minds will start to reflect on the past and somehow the video of all our mistakes run through our minds. For some thoughts of depression can be so consuming that they consider suicide. They are considering a permeant solution to a short-term problem.
My friends, when you find your mind living in this dark loop, it is time to pause. First, get your bearings. Where are you really? Who are you really? If there are things to change in your life. Make the changes today. Don’t say that you can’t change. Kick the can’ts in the pants. The problems may honestly be beyond you. That too is ok. You are finding your place on the map.
Second, and this might help you make the changes. Look up to the mountain top. Look up and see the Celestial City, the Kingdom of Heaven. Since you likely have not yet seen it, you will have to use your imagination.
Third step, because you now know where you are and where the objective is you can look at the map (the Bible) to figure out what your next steps might be.
Remember, Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of God is within us.
The prophets describe a fountain of life that flows through this city. This city is within you. Life is flowing through your very heart. All of the hardship and challenge is making you stronger, more pliable and usable by the King. If the Kingdom of God is within you, He needs to make space. Let Him do His work.
The final piece is to let the river of life flow through you. Get your eyes off of your own emotional poverty, your own feelings of lack and turn your eyes toward others. Every face that you see as you walk through our community is hurting. Can you love them? Pray the King to give you eyes to see and ears to hear. Ask Him to help you see their pain. Then ask Him to show you the light that will heal their pain. It might be a smile or a kind word. It might be advice or even a prayer.
You, my friends, are a fountain of life. Spread the love to all that you have contact with. As Saint Francis is reported to have said, “Preach the Gospel always and when necessary, use words.”
