Poor in Spirit

I just LOVE Matthew 5, especially the first 12 verses.

"And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 5:2--3

Today we are going to be looking at Matthew 5:1--3. Blessed are the poor in spirit. To put it simply, "poor in spirit" is recognizing one's need for God and acknowledging God's plan for you. This is another way you can Shine Bright for Jesus. Now let's dig into the Word.

First, recognizing your need for God. We can break this down even further. Recognizing means knowing or identifying. So, if we know our need for God, probably we'll stop doing stuff on our own, without Him. What does knowing our need for God really look like? And how do we start? First you must ask God to help you. Don't be afraid to ask for God's help. God is not just some power you should obey, he is your Father, your heavenly Father who wants you to talk to Him. God wants to help you. He's someone who is looking out for you all the time. Do you have that one sibling or friend who seems to always be there when you need them? God is like that too, but He is always, always there to help. That is why we can talk to Him and trust Him to help ALWAYS! It's crazy cool! If we can always trust Him, we know our need for Him as well.

Second: Acknowledging that God knows what is best in your life. It's easy to go around thinking you know what is best without even knowing it. You may be saying, "Shadow, that is not what I think." And you might be right, but then we have to put it into practice. We must ask God to help us with everything. EVERY TINY THING! Keeping your temper when your sister is annoying you? Ya, God can help with that. Not complaining when it's your turn to pack the dishwasher? Yep, God can definitely help you with that. When you get to thinking about all those "little" things we do, it can add up fast. Imagine a life where no one got annoyed at their siblings or friends, or if nobody complained. Think about how much easier it would be on your parents, teachers, friends, and siblings. If we know God is in control of our lives and knows what is best, how much easier would it be to Shine Bright for Jesus? If you can stop worrying and start trusting Jesus with everything, your life will be a lot less hard to live (And yes, if you ask, God can help you with not worrying).

So, to be poor in spirit, you must recognize your need for God and His plan for you.

Here are a few verses to get you started:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” - John 14:27

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." - 1 Peter 5:7

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothes?” - Matthew 6:25

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

- Philippians 4:19