Blessed ( Part 2)

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  — Matthew 5:4

Mourn what?  When a loved one dies, does this mean we can be comforted because they are “in a better place?”  I doubt it, because not everyone who dies goes to a better place.  In fact, Jesus says just two chapters later that “many” are on the road that leads to destruction and only a “few” are on the narrow road that leads to life.  This is an interesting beatitude.

Before anybody can understand it, they must have first experienced the first beatitude.  They must have realized that they are “poor in spirit,” for then, and only then is “theirs the kingdom of heaven.”  If you try to come to Christ any other way, you do not have access to the kingdom of heaven.  At some point in your life, you must repent of your sins and turn to Him.  If you have done that, you have access to the kingdom heaven.  You only have access, you are by no means “done.“  You have simply begun the lifelong process of purification.  The next step is to mourn, but it does not remain mournful…Jesus does comfort you.  So, how does this work?

For me, it was about 15 year process after I got saved that I truly mourned.  Think about this:  I had access to the kingdom of heaven because I really did receive Christ as a teenager.  One of my really good friends bought me a Bible with my name on it.  It took me 5 years to open it.  I was a virgin when I got saved…I wasn‘t when I got married.  I never even considered going to school (as a student or a teacher) and working “as unto the Lord,” I just trudged through my day trying to get to the part where I could do what I wanted.  I never considered giving money to God’s work.  There were a lot of Christian principles that I just ignored because I still had so much of myself in me.

Even today, I go back in my mind and think about how stupid and selfish I lived my life.  This is not as an unbeliever…but a believer who had supposedly placed his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.  I mourn those wasted days.  But, here is the cool thing:  Jesus will not let me wallow in the fact that I messed it all up.  He comforts me and only encourages me to surrender my life to Him today…every day.  He reminds me of how together we have conquered so many sins.  He shows me where I am now compared to where I was.  He still reminds me that I have a long way to go, but with Him, and with Him only will I get there.

Maybe you are saved, but still wasting enormous amounts of time.  Maybe reading this has opened your eyes to the fact that you are still living a life that denies Christ even though you know He is in your heart.  Maybe it’s time to dust off the Word of God and just spend some time with Him.  Maybe it’s time to put on your favorite praise and worship music and just tap into his holiness.  Yes, you will feel very unworthy, very guilty, and very small…this still happens to me.  But, He will do for you what He does for me…

He will comfort you.

Later

Adam