Is it possible to find happiness in hard times? At some point or another, we are all dissatisfied with our lives. At best, what fleeting happiness we find tends to disappear in never-ending responsibilities, stressful deadlines, and mindless scrolling. However, the Bible shows us a way to hold onto joy in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). But, how do we do that joy when life gets difficult?
THE BEATITUDES: 8 KEYS TO A BLESSED LIFE
As we look to God's word in the Bible for answers, we find guidance from Jesus in the Beatitudes. If you're unfamiliar with the Beatitudes, this section of Scripture comes from one of Jesus' most famous messages: the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Over the next few weeks, we're diving into the 8 keys to a blessed life that we learn from this passage.
The first Beatitude, or blessed attitude, says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 5:3). This statement is seemingly paradoxical. The blessed person we often think of is someone who's rich and famous, or has sleek abs so they can have lots of followers on Instagram or Tik Tok. Contrarily, in this verse, Jesus says the truly crazy happy person is someone who can declare dependence on God instead of themselves.
2 WAYS TO PUT GOD'S WORD INTO PRACTICE THIS WEEK
Honestly, it's hard learning how to switch from a mindset of individualism to one of dependence. So, to help you get started, below we provide two main ways you can start putting God's words to practice this week.
DEPEND ON GOD'S WISDOM
I'm sure we could all cite a painful experience where you wished you had listened to God instead of your gut. The reality is, God is filled with truth, and your gut is filled with pizza. So, don't trust your gut when you make decisions. Instead, ask yourself: Where do you need God's wisdom the most right now? This week, boldly declare that you will depend on God's wisdom, and not your own.
James 1:5 says "If any of you lack wisdom, you should pray and ask God, who gives it generously and graciously to all." You know what that means? You don't have to qualify for God's wisdom. He'll give it to you if you ask Him! That's good news for our journey to finding the true, crazy happiness that we all crave.
DEPEND ON GOD'S STRENGTH
The second practical way you can put God's word in the Beatitudes into practice is to confess: I depend on God's strength, not my own. This year especially, it feels like many of us are running on fumes. The reason for this is simple: We're human. Our strength is limited. But, thanks be to God, His strength is unlimited. So, the poor in Spirit can depend on God's strength each day, not their own.
Sometimes in life, you're going to feel so weak that you can't even pray. So, in those moments, instead rest in the strength of the Lord. Trust him in your weakness. For encouragement, you could even try memorizing Psalm 71:16, which says "I walk in the strength of the Lord". It's a short, simple verse, but also a profound reminder of the strength we can tap into through Christ.
If you are weary and heavy laden today, we pray you will put your load down before God. Let Him shoulder your load. When you are poor in Spirit, the Beatitudes call you blessed. Jesus trusted in the strength and wisdom of the Lord, and we can too. We hope you take steps this week to lean on Christ for the wisdom and strength you need to live a truly blessed, Crazy Happy life.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
To keep learning from related resources and topics, check out this additional content from Liquid Church:
- Message: God of Miracles: Sermon On The Mount. In Liquid Church's God of Miracles series, we walk in the footsteps of Jesus to discover the God of Miracles. Click here to watch this message and continue your study of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
- Blog Post: Pursuing the Joy of Being Present. In this article, Lauren Bercarich shares her journey to appreciate the present moment as she raises two young boys, Hunter and Archer. Click here to read and learn how you, too, can pursue the joy of being present.