“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3
I played golf for the first time in several years the other day. It reminded me what a lesson in humility the game can be. I had a beautiful straight drive off the fairway, but I landed in the sand trap with the next shot. My temporary cockiness suddenly taken down a notch as I became humbled by that little white ball in the sand. To proceed, I needed to take a deep breath, clear my head, admit I have a lot to learn, and focus on the next swing.
Many scriptures talk about humility, but in the Beatitudes, Jesus promises the poor in spirit the kingdom of God. Notice the use of the word "is" this is not a future event but here and now. When we empty ourselves of our arrogance and pride recognizing Christ, is our source we are living in his kingdom today. That doesn't say we can't be proud of our accomplishments, but we need to acknowledge them as God's grace and remain humble when we do.
God, we give you thanks for all of our successes and acknowledge they are a gift from you. Without you, we are but dust. Please help us remain poor in spirit as we approach you with humility and praise you in awe. Lord, help us experience the kingdom of heaven this day. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
