We need to take our joy more seriously than we do. The old catechism begins by telling us that the ultimate purpose of every human being is to ‘glorify God and enjoy him forever.’ If that is true, then the more we enjoy him the more we glorify him. Jesus thought the same. At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5-7) Jesus gives us ‘The Beatitudes’. They are about the pursuit of deep and lasting joy and well-being (which Jesus calls being ‘blessed’). They tell us that such joy is to be found in surprising places and in unexpected ways. What follows are some questions to help us use the Beatitudes to deepen our own joy.
BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:3)
Are you resisting the false assumption that you will find what you need within yourself? Have you seen through the lie that the bigger you are in your own eyes and in the eyes of others the happier you will be? Are you trying to live as if you were self-sufficient? Are you hiding from yourself your own emptiness and need, blaming others, your circumstances, or even God himself for it?
Consider your own emptiness and sinfulness until you stop looking within to find joy. Consider how Christ was exalted by making himself nothing and laying down his life. Settle in your own mind that you have to be emptied of self before you can be filled with joy.
Reflect on the riches that are yours in Christ until you find your heart reaching out for him as your joy. Consider your privileges as a citizen in the kingdom of heaven until there is some fresh stirring of joy in your heart. Think of your election, calling, justification, adoption and the glory to come.
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Mat 5:4)
Are you still hiding from the truth about your own sinfulness? Have you forgotten that true joy is impossible where there is no repentance for sin? How long has it been since you tasted the tender, painful sweetness of a broken and contrite heart?
Consider how the unconditional love of God frees you to face your own sinfulness head on.
Consider all that your sin did to Christ on the cross until sin starts to look and feel ugly to you.
Consider what damage your sin is doing in your life and in the lives of others until you start to wish you were free of it.
Consider the grace of God towards you until you begin to feel your heart melt.
Consider the cross of Christ until you feel something of the comfort the Gospel brings and begin to enter into the blessedness of being forgiven.
BLESSED ARE THE MEEK
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Mat 5:5)
Are you seeking happiness in self-promotion or in controlling others in some way? Have you forgotten that true joy can only be found in self-forgetfulness and service?
Consider how God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Consider how Christ poured out his life for the sake of others until you glimpse the joy, power and beauty of self-giving.
Consider how Jesus models self-giving as the only way to the promised inheritance until you find a desire to follow the same path.
Think of a way to serve someone today and do it, for Jesus’ sake, even though it may be unseen.
BLESSED ARE THOSE LONGING TO BE RIGHTEOUS
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Mat 5:6)
What are you longing for today?
Are you believing the lie that happiness will come through possessions, achievements, pleasures and status?
What is the source of any frustration you feel? Identifying that will help you understand what you are longing for and living for.
Have you forgotten that happiness is impossible without holiness?
Consider the power, beauty and value of Jesus Christ as your righteousness until you discover a new appetite for him within your own heart and a new longing to be both righteous in him and righteous like him.
BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Mat 5:7)
Are you resisting the deep instinct that we all have to keep a record of wrongs done to us and a list of the grievances we have suffered? Have you forgotten that a list like that will take control of your life? Are you pursuing the deep and counter-intuitive joy of accepting, serving and forgiving others? Have you forgotten that you need mercy yourself – both from God and the many you have wronged?
Consider the God who is rich in mercy towards you until any hardness or coldness towards people in your life melts.
Consider the enormity of your own need for mercy – from God and from other people – until your self-righteousness is broken afresh and you see anew the ocean of mercy in which you live and move and have your being.
BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Mat 5:8)
Have you forgotten the importance of your interior life – your thoughts and desires? Have you realised the connection the Bible repeatedly makes between holiness and happiness? Have you settled in your own heart that there is no greater joy than knowing God in Christ – and that in the end, apart from him, there is no joy at all?
Have you realised that the pleasures of sin, though real, are fleeting, counterfeit, addictive and self-destructive? Have you forgotten that only the knowledge of God and the presence of God can quench your thirst and satisfy your heart? Have you forgotten that God is utterly holy and that it is impossible to get near him unless you too are holy?
Remember that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. Consider too that the Spirit who indwells us is the Holy Spirit of God. Remember that the will of God for your life is your sanctification and that he is totally committed to conforming you to the image of his Son. Surrender again to this and choose to be holy.
BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
Are you resisting the sinful instinct we all have to delight over and discuss the faults and failings of others? Are you finding a counterfeit joy in noting the sins of others and feeling superior? When was the last time you admitted to someone you were wrong and asked for their forgiveness?
Remember how the love of God has freely and fully covered the multitude of your sins, until you are ashamed of your delight in the failings of others. Dwell on the reality of the imputed righteousness of Christ, until you are free of the insecurity that generates your need to criticise others. Dwell on the depths of the forgiveness you have received until you are able to forgive those who sin against you.
Consider how Christ is the great reconciler, and all that it cost him to become so, until you realise how much he treasures others, and begin to feel the same.
BLESSED ARE THE PERSECUTED
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mat 5:10-12)
Are you just going with the flow, being swept along the path of least resistance? Have you forgotten that it is impossible to follow Jesus without experiencing cross-currents and turbulence? Are you being controlled by the expectations and opinions of others? Is your life being run by fear?
Consider the persecution that Jesus endured for you until you see afresh that following him always means making sacrifices and suffering loss.
Consider the end of the journey and your citizenship in heaven until the hold of this world on your heart is loosened a little. Remember that there is only one opinion that counts (God’s) and that in Christ the highest court that there is, or ever will be, has declared you righteous and accepted you forever.