Beatitude 1: Are We Teaching Our Kids to be Poor in Spirit?
Written by Mark Wickersham, ECS Director of Spiritual Formation
If you ask the typical K-12 student what they hope to achieve when they become an adult, I often hear, “to be rich and go viral!” It’s a rare thing for students to tell me that they hope to be stronger in their faith and wiser when they get older. Countless people like to flaunt their wealth and draw attention to their skills, even if these skills are absolutely absurd! We want to appear confident and comfortable to as many people as possible, acting as if we have it all together. We can be a self-consumed, materialistic society. We want what we want, and we want it now. Who wants to be poor in anything? No one. But in one crucial sense, this is exactly what Jesus says we should be.
If you’re part of a church community, you’ve probably heard this verse a few times: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5:3). What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Can you explain it to others? Are you poor in spirit? Shouldn’t we be rich in spirit? The top Bible scholars believe Jesus said Matthew 5:3 to his disciples on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel. It’s the first of eight Beatitudes Jesus preached 2,000 years ago, so we know it’s super important.
Being poor in spirit begins with being humble. Instead of running away from your teammates when you score a goal and going to the corner flag so everyone can worship you, we are to look up and thank God for the abilities He gave us to crack that shot. We are to thank God for the teammates He gave us who helped us get the ball in the net. James 4:10 says we are to humble ourselves before the Lord, and HE will exalt us. John 15:5 tells us that apart from Christ, we can do nothing. Are you humble enough to admit your need for God?
Being poor in spirit means realizing we’re sinners who are spiritually bankrupt before God. We can’t act like we’re little gods and do things in our own strength. That’s proud, and God opposes the proud (James 4:6). Jesus, the all-powerful, sinless Son of God, didn’t go around squashing people and saying He was all that and a bag of chips. Although Jesus is all-knowing and perfect in every way, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6b-8). Are we like this, and are we teaching our kids to be like this?
We must humbly cry out to God and admit our need for God. We can’t save ourselves. Our grades, looks, names, resumes, titles, and works can’t save us. Only the blood of Jesus can save us from our spiritual destitution. We must admit we can’t deliver ourselves from our dire circumstances before we can receive the kingdom of heaven – the spiritual riches God offers, including eternal life with God in a place free from sin, suffering, and Satan. So again, are we poor in spirit? Are we teaching this to our children? Let’s confess our sins of pride, laziness, and ingratitude, and cling to the cross of Christ. This is where true blessing lies.
Drop me a line if you have a question or would like to meet, and please come to our chapels, where you can hear more about what it means to be blessed. You’ll be surrounded by a lot of godly people and hear about our King of Kings and Lord and Lords, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory!
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3).