some time between after writing the previous post and now, i started listening to a matt chandler podcast on luke. he was talking about the beatitudes, specifically about being poor in spirit. ive had a rough idea of what that means, but im starting to understand it more.
being poor in spirit is feeling inadequate compared to the glory of God. it's feeling like there's nothing you could possibly do or not do to fully exemplify the presence of God in your life. blessed are those who feel unworthy to be in the presence of the Lord.Matthew 5:3 (New International Version)
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
poor in spirit is where God wants us.
but poor in spirit doesn't mean that we are to stay poor in spirit. at the bottem of the pit, you must go up. being poor in spirit is a state that requires action. action to pursue a loving God, despite the sins that seem to cloud our pursuit of God.
sitting around and moping about our sins is where the devil wants us.
interesting. i was definitely mulling over this verse earlier winter break. char (do you know her?) she's basically like all us austin girl's female mentor. ask em about her. we were talking about it and both really meditating what it means and how important it is for us to be poor in spirit.
ReplyDeletematthew 5:6 is one of my favorite verses. although i know a lot of people are moved by: matthew 5:8.
and i agree about the enemy. he is definitely a tricky one and twist even our humble inadequacy towards God into something sinful.