Blessings sermon - Becoming what we think. One Spirit Resources

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Blessings Sermon - Becoming what we think

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Scripture Reference: Matthew 5: 5-11 (NIV), we’ve come to call the Beatitudes.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus named 8 things for which we would be blessed, and he named what those blessings were.

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

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.””

May God bless the reading of his word.

What does the word "blessing" mean?

There is a religious influence in this country that identifies the blessings of God with gaining money and other material things. Is this what the Bible means by blessing? Well, maybe it could lead to that. Let’s see.

In the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament), the word consistently used for “blessing” which is “Barak,” pronounced “Baw rak,” is a base word meaning to kneel down. Like most words it expanded its meaning to include praise, which is praise of God or God’s praise of us. On rare occasion a word meaning “happy” was translated as bless.

You might think of that Hebrew word, Barak, as God looking at us favorably for our efforts.

In the Christian New Testament, the word translated as “blessed” means “supremely or fortunate.” On rare occasion it means “to speak well of.”

In some translations of the Bible, the word for bless is translated as “happy.” “Happy are the poor in spirit?” Maybe. Let’s think about this.

If you look up the dictionary meaning of happy, it isn’t a transient mood. It’s “feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.” Or “fortunate.” It’s a more basic response than smiling and giggling for a moment.

I try to look at everything in the Bible in context. Jesus ministered primarily to the poor. He didn’t go to the religious leaders, who he regarded as snakes and hypocrites. He didn’t go out of his way to find the wealthy – some of the wealthy understood his wisdom and went to him. He didn’t go to those who governed the land, but some came to him. No, he went to the common, everyday person, and most of them were poor.

I think we would have heard about it if Jesus had shown up with a wheelbarrow of money and passed it out to the poor. Or if those who came to him suddenly gained wealth. Or even if Jesus and his Apostles and followers had, instead of taking up a collection, had passed out money or goats or anything of material value. We hear none of that.

What about miracles? Jesus did some miracles simply to establish his authority – that he was a voice from God. But he couldn’t turn away from those in need and healed them.

So when Jesus is talking about blessings, he isn’t talking about gaining wealth or miracles. He’s talking about something more fundamental.

Studies on wealth

International studies on wealth have concluded that if you want to make people unhappy, make them live in poverty and hunger. Lifting them from poverty and hunger brings happiness.

Conversely, giving people who have enough, more money, doesn’t make them happier. Money doesn’t bring happiness. From studies, there are many who live on only a few dollars a year who are very happy.

For people who have enough, money is a poor motivator. Some will work longer hours to be able to buy something they need for their home. But I and others found in business that while people want to get raises over a period of time for their expanding family needs and goals, offering them cash doesn’t motivate them.

When I went off active duty in the Navy, I turned down pay to continue my enlistment on weekends in the Navy Reserves. The money wasn’t that important. I preferred to be with my wife. As a business manager, we needed employees to generate articles on safe driving. We offered them $100.00 an article. We got zero.

Money and material things are not the key to Happiness.

Relationships

Jesus gave the people hope of a brighter future, but not money. He told them how to repair their relationships. When people who are important to me are upset with me, it makes me very sad. It takes away my happiness, my contentment with life. Jesus said to fix this ASAP. We can’t always. But when we fix relationships, it’s restorative.

Bad relationships make people very unhappy. Sometimes these are horror stories and have to be broken. Relationships are often difficult.

Author: B.B. Reid wrote, “I hated her with everything I had because it was the only emotion I had to give. I realized, even then, I was giving her everything.

“She was the bane of my existence, and at the very same, the reason I cared to exist.”

Yes, there really are people like that. As an experienced counselor, I would love to say they can be changed. Can’t say that. Yet like Reid indicated, if possible, we have to learn to live with them. Relationships are fundamental to our lives. And making relationships good is vital to our contentment. Or as Jesus said, love your enemies.

In business I once had a manager who seemed to have it all together. I recognized in what he said, the mark of an excellent manager. I learned some good things from him about setting goals. I had at least twenty goals, and it seemed like they would never get accomplished. He made us whittle our lists down to three, and by having that focus of the entire organization and only one at a time, we got them all done, then moved on to three more.

Yet the man was toxic. Somewhere from the formation of his personality he believed others were guilty of things without any proof – guilty until proven innocent. He made all kinds of accusations. He created a lot of unwarranted tension and made everyone miserable. But when he left, I wasn’t happy he was leaving. I simply wanted him “fixed.”

Love is kind, love is patient, the Apostle Paul tells us. We can’t change other people – even trying is a mistake. But we can be kind and patient with others and let that be part of our relationships.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 (NIV), “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

Paul understood what Jesus told us: Love. Love even your enemy, forgive 70 times 7. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Being blessed, contentment, happiness, supremely or fortunate: These are what love brings. There is a deep satisfaction with our lives because we live them in the way Jesus showed us.

There is a movement called minimalism in which people give away most of what they possess and live with less. They find they are much happier than people who are constantly after material things, which are never enough, never satisfying, and which when they fail to satisfy simply make us want the next thing.

My wife and I have had the experience of putting all our household possessions into storage for weeks or months until we got resettled. We kept with us the minimum we needed to get along. We rarely missed those items in storage. Funny how that works.

Religion, notably Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, ask us to be detached from material things and focus on love. Being attached to material things drives us away from loving others, and toward being selfish. Jesus noted this when a rich, young man came to him and claimed he followed all of the commandments, and wondered what he could do to earn life. Jesus told him to sell all he had and give the money to the poor. He was very sad because he could not part with what he owned.

John Green said, “People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos, is because things are being loved and people are being used.”

Heidemarie Schwermer, in Australia, gave away all of her possessions and lived for 16 years without money. I’m not recommending this. A psychotherapist, she has travelled around the world trading gardening, cleaning and therapy sessions for food and a place to sleep. She writes books about her experience, and gives the money away on the street or to charity. She says, "True happiness comes from within."

Reference: 1millionwomen.com: Meet Inspiring Women Who Live Almost No Possessions

Certainly, that kind of life, being away from family, friends, all that’s familiar, security, and comfortable homes is not for everyone. But people are realizing that the endless quest for material possessions, broadly know in our economy as consumerism, is not fulfilling.

In her TEDx talk, The Joy of Less, Kim Coupounas tells of her experience of a bad breakup, then living for a while without her baggage, which mostly didn’t arrive. She had no relationship, no car, no savings, no income, no job, no place of her own, and fortunately no bills.

Having no bills gave her great joy and freedom.

Experiences and building memories became much more important

She gained more time to do as she wished

Her sense of gratitude grew enormously, which studies have shown as a major key to happiness.

She said, “I became more confident in the real me. I am not what I wear or what I own, I am me, and this realisation has been more rewarding than any ‘thing’ could offer me.”

Reference: A Lust For Life. Less Is More: The beauty of detaching from possessions

We are what we think

I recently wrote a well referenced article, “We Are What We Think.” I’m sure you’ve heard the maxims, “You are what you eat,” and even you are what you say or do. But at a more fundamental level, it’s very true that we are what we think about. What we think about not only changes our mental state, it changes the physical dimensions of our brain.

Chronic complaining actually doesn’t just strengthen the frequently used circuits of our brains; MRIs show it changes the physical structure of our brains.

I joke with my wife that I don’t have to complain because she has complaining down to a science. She’s wonderful.

We are more strongly affected by negativity. Quoting from the article, Science Explains What Happens to Someone’s Brain From Complaining Every Day, “Dr. Rick Hanson, a neuroscientist, and author of Buddha’s Brain, explains the effect of negativity, compared to positive thoughts this way: “Negative stimuli produce more neural activity than do equally intensive positive ones. They are also perceived more easily and quickly.””

Many people use this against us. Fear is a major motivator. Fear is used endlessly to manipulate us.

What do we think about? Looking at others who do what we think is wrong and finding reasons to hate them? Smoldering over things others do or say to us? Gossiping about the self-imposed hardships that others face? Worrying over what may happen to us? Finding satisfaction in lies told about others? Being happy when bad things come to those we don’t like? Rejoicing when Karma punishes those who desperately deserve it? Yeah, I get it – all of it. I’m not above any of it. But we should be.

The Apostle Paul said that love “… keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

Jesus said happiness will be ours:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

How negativity affects us has been known since antiquity. It takes us to the wrong places, hate, judgment, anxiety, bad relationships, angry words, division, vengeance, the absence of love - the opposite of things that make us happy.

The Apostle Paul wisely advised his followers to stay positive in mind in Philippians 4, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.”

What thinking in this way brings to us is well worth having. Contentment. Happiness. God looks down in a way that is happy with us. Others are happy with us. Our relationships are better. And maybe this brings us to or attracts the right people who improve our lives in material and other ways.

But a pot of gold? No, that’s rainbows, and having been to the end of a rainbow, I can tell you that isn’t true either.

Closing

In closing, I want to leave you with this thought: What if, instead of finding ways to justify hating each other, we dedicated all of our time to finding ways to love each other, as Jesus called us to do?

May God be with you all

- Dorian

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