Are you poor in spirit?

I really enjoy studying the beatitudes that Jesus taught during His Sermon on the Mount, because they are the guidelines for how we, as Christians, are to operate as citizens of Heaven, here on the earth. But one that I think many people skim over, as they do not fully comprehend its meaning, is Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

What could Jesus really be saying by blessed are the poor in spirit? Some people view the Bible as complicated and difficult to understand, perceiving the language to be not like that of today’s or even that, at times, Jesus teaches in parables which can sound much like a riddle, but with this first beatitude it is quite literally “blessed are the poor.” I think it is interesting that in Luke 6:20, he quotes Jesus saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Not mentioning anything about being poor in spirit, rather He is simply referring to people who are physically poor. Why then, would the poor inherit the Kingdom of God?

Let me explain. When a person lives without having their most basic needs met, when they have exhausted every attempt to meet those needs by their own efforts…now, they are in the position to receive. There is a genuine humility that comes with being physically poor. And with humility comes freedom, at least with the correct perspective: a Kingdom-based mindset.

When a person has no other material items to hold on to, to distract them, then they can be open to the miracles God has for them and to allow others to bless them. And that is when we see the Kingdom truly come to fruition here on the earth. My friend Angie is a missionary in Thailand and her and her husband and four children have traveled the world seeing the kindness and generosity of others sustain them. Sometimes their support comes from family and friends, but other times it has been from people they barely know. In fact, some of the most amazing miracles have happened through complete strangers who were told directly by God how much or what kind of resource they were supposed to give Angie and her family.

Living a lifestyle so dependent on God is not easy, trusting Him to the point of where their next meal will come from or if they will have a place to stay once they get off the airplane is the greatest test of faith. But you know what? Every time they take these faith steps, they see God show up in the most life-changing and mind-blowing ways. This family has impacted hundreds of lives through sharing their many testimonies of how God supernaturally provides for them. Blessed is this family and the kingdom of heaven is theirs. (If you would like to learn more about their faith journey, and God-anointed mission to bring revival to northern Thailand, please visit their website at www.soar-international.org).

Another example is when I was on a mission trip to Nicaragua several years ago, and we were going around to some local homes near the church we were visiting simply asking people if we could pray for them. So many of these neighbors were sweet and gracious, welcoming us “foreign-speaking-church-people” into their homes. Looking around, all you would see is a dirt floor, no appliances, perhaps a single electric burner for cooking, only a few dishes, two plastic chairs and if they were lucky one mattress on the floor and maybe a few hammocks. They could have begged for money or even asked us to pray that someone would give them money, or a nicer house or more food, but do you know what they always wanted prayer for? For their health, for the health or safety of their children or other loved ones, sometimes it was for their spouse to stop drinking or for them to find steady work. And after we finished praying usually in a language they did not understand, they would smile, shake your hand, hug you, try to offer you the last bit of food they had, and then proceed to talk about how good God is, offering their final goodbyes by saying, “God bless you”. God bless us, are you kidding me? How humble and gracious of them…and how convicting to us, those with such a surplus of all the things they lacked, and yet who had more joy? Who had a closer relationship with the Lord?

One of the greatest messages in the Bible is for those of us with much, or even just enough, we are to take care of the poor. This beautiful interaction is a demonstration of God’s love and an image of who God is to each one of us. Jesus possesses all the wealth of Heaven, and He shares it with us, for He is rich, and we are poor.

So, what will it take for you to be totally reliant on Jesus, if you are not physically, relationally, or monetarily poor? I think, we are best challenged when we spend time with those who are. Go and volunteer in your community, at a food bank or soup kitchen. Go on a mission trip or have a conversation with a missionary currently serving in a foreign land. Allow the Holy Spirit to inspire you in being generous with your money, in ways you might think are quite radical…perhaps God will ask you to give away your car, or sell your home to live in a smaller one so you can give more money to others, or perhaps you will give the money you were saving for vacation to one of these missionary families, becoming their next testimony of how God used YOU to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. Empty yourself of emotional and physical energy to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others. Be the friend someone desperately needs.

I challenge you today, to reflect on your “status” as a person with at least moderate wealth; how could this earthly provision be keeping you from being in a position to truly receive, preventing God from fulfilling all of your needs (mentally, physically and spiritually) in miraculous ways, ways in which you cannot experience, other than to be poor in spirit. When you set your mind on things above, not on the things of this earth, I assure you, you will always be blessed.