Christian maturity is a process which is described in Jesus’ teaching called The Beatitudes. The journey starts with humility. Jesus calls it being POOR IN SPIRIT.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) (Beatitude #1)
The movie Rudy is the true story of a high school football player who has the dream of being on the University of Notre Dame football team. He is really not scholarship material for this caliber of school, so he enrolls and begins working on a way to play football as a walk-on. (You must watch this movie, if you haven’t yet.)
Rudy is talking to the university chaplain at one point, as he needs some hope and encouragement while trying to figure out how to make the team. He is wondering why things aren’t working out, and the chaplain is trying to explain that he needs to be patient, that there is someone “bigger than you” who has to be trusted. The chaplain puts it this way … “There are two things I have learned in life … One: There is a God, and Two: I am not him!”
Becoming a disciple of Jesus starts with admitting that we need help. This takes humility. To reach this point, most people have tried to make life work out right in a variety of unsuccessful ways. Along the way, we go through periods of frustration, guilt, failure, hurt, and hopelessness. No matter how good things are at various times, and no matter how many years it takes, eventually we will come to a point where we cry out for help. We have dug our hole so deep, that we finally have to admit we will never get out of this pit on our own. Hallelujah! This is the moment at which we are finally ready to embrace God’s way … a Savior named Jesus, who gave his life so that we might be saved from our sin and futility and be set free.
Why did Jesus start the Beatitudes with “blessed are the poor in spirit”? It is because humility and surrender are where life truly begins. The creators of Alcoholics Anonymous picked up on this principle. Step 1 of the 12 Steps is to admit you are powerless over alcohol, and Step 2 is to believe that only a power greater than yourself can restore you.
Pride and determination will never be enough to achieve true peace, joy, hope, salvation, or eternal life. These are gifts given by God and can’t be earned. We may as well say that our starting point is “emptiness.”
Empty is good. God can’t put much in your hands if they are already holding on to things that you think will work or that you treasure above the “higher” things God would like to give you. This fight against embracing humility is universal.
I once read a book by a famous horse breeder, who told how he would always be present at the birth of a foal. When it got up on its feet, he would hold it by the tail and let it struggle to get free until it finally gave up. When he let go, the horse was calm and subdued. This little one would grow up knowing who its master was. It had a freedom and a sense of peace that lasted a lifetime. It was easy to train, enjoyed being around both horses and people, and lived a fruitful life. It trusted its master to provide all its needs.
As humans, God is not going to hold us by the tail and force us to be humble. It must be chosen. Once we do that, God begins to show us the best that life has to offer … a sense of identity, meaning, and purpose.
Once salvation is received, by grace through faith in Jesus … will our future be trouble free? Of course not. We are human, and we live in a fallen world . We will still have times of difficulty, but in those moments, we must remember that being humble before God is always a first step to having our world set right again. We may feel like we are too small and the problem too big, but we can always say, “Lord, help me. Lord, I trust you in everything.”
God can work with that! And the kingdom of heaven is yours!
Blessings,
Chaplain Mark
For the next few days, we will look at these verses, describing the path to maturity in the faith:
The Beatitudes … Matthew 5:2-10 (NRSV)
2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”