Poverty of spirit is not a popular idea in the world. Magazines and TV programmes do not offer advice on how to become poor in spirit today. Instead, the world advocates self-reliance, self-fulfilment and self-expression. The world’s version of this beatitude could be ‘How fortunate are the self-confident, for prosperity and popularity will be theirs’. The world encourages people to ‘believe in yourself’. Poverty of the spirit is the exact opposite. It is: The complete absence of pride To have no selfish ambition To possess no hint of self-assurance To be without any self-confidence. A man or woman is only poor in spirit when they carry with themselves at all times a total awareness of their utter nothingness when faced with the ultimate reality of God. The poor in spirit are disciples who do not rely on their backgrounds, do not trust in their education, do not depend on their wealth or status. They know that, in comparison with God, these are as useful as a concrete parachute. Disciples are not poor in spirit because they are inadequate or repressed. Instead, we become poor in spirit by spending time gazing at God and following Jesus—in this way we come to know what we are compared to them. Through this basic characteristic, the poor in spirit become those who are considered fortunate—because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 2 Corinthians 6:10 & 8:9 illustrate how all the blessings of the kingdom come to those with this foundation attitude.
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 08:37:51 +0000
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