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Jesus turns it all around, explaining that the most fortunate people are those who are socially disregarded, are deemed unworthy by the dominant culture, and recognize their deep need for God.
To cut out grief from our lives is to crush our joy as well. We
Yet in the kingdom of God, the way of gentleness is what will heal the world.
This beatitude reminds us that one day God will make everything sad untrue. A day is coming when he will exalt the lowly and lower the exalted—when he will end oppression and all exploitation. Who, then, are the blessed ones? In short, the ones who seek to make things right like God does.
What a great phrase: “I should have risked God’s mercy more!”
But at the core of Christian mysticism is a growing ability—generated by grace—to see traces of God in the world. That is the good news of the kingdom: God makes himself accessible here and now. To see him, though, you must be pure in heart.
So be of good cheer, dear friend. Following Jesus, even into discomfort, places you among the most blessed people on earth.
I’ve discovered that the most mature people are not consumed with their fruitfulness, nor do they wallow in their failures.
Instead of receiving commendation from God, we settle for admiration from people.
Unless we regularly withdraw, we will eventually wither.
If we base our identities on being loved and esteemed, eventually it will crush us—from the constant effort it takes to please others and because we’ll never be able to keep people happy forever.
get sucked into a vortex of activity—especially “good” activity because our sense of self is validated.
When we lie consistently, it eventually becomes our reality. And when that happens, our souls are in grave danger.
Be careful about what you are doing just now, putting a false spin on something because it is too awkward to accept as true. The danger is that if you continue doing this you may eventually come to believe your own lie. That will be unforgivable, given that you will no longer want to be forgiven because you will see truth as a lie and a lie as the truth.[2]
Lying is not just a sign of questionable character; it’s captivity to an evil power. And this evil can be driven out only by speaking the truth.
Being truthful is ultimately about alignment; it’s a matter of congruence. What’s happening on the outside is consistent with what’s going on inside. To speak truth is to, by God’s grace, follow through. A life of integrity narrows the gap between the words we say and the way we live.
To live with integrity, you can’t shape-shift to meet the expectations of whomever you’re with.
Truth is either the clarity of love, or it is nothing.”[3]
Because our deepest desire is to be presented pure, holy, and spotless before the One who will eternally love us in unending, intimate communion.[1]
Generosity doesn’t manipulate God’s grace; it’s about living free from attachments.
In other words, our goodness doesn’t compel God to be good.
a choice of restlessness or restfulness.[8]
Stop worrying and start enjoying. The more you worry, the less time you have. Helpfully, Jesus doesn’t merely say to stop worrying; he tells us to seek his kingdom.
The primary calling for followers of Jesus is to show up in love, truth, and grace, not draw conclusions about the interior condition of other people.
every judgment is a self-judgment…. What I condemn in others may be but a reflection of myself in a mirror.”[4]
Where am I failing to live up to a standard I expect from others? (failure) How do I currently benefit from the patience and grace of God (and others)? (forgiveness) Who in my life can help me see some of my blind spots? (friendship)
Did I see anyone through the eyes of Christ’s love today? Did I bring my anxious thoughts before God in prayer? Was I present to God’s presence in silence? Is there any sin I must confess and request God’s forgiveness for?
that God’s will is good and worthy of being carried out.
His gift wasn’t given out of guilt but grace.
The quality of our faith is not in what we claim to believe; rather, it flows from our intimate communion with God that is expressed in love for others, in accordance with the Father’s will.
He will lead you step-by-step so you don’t have to fret about “finding” God’s will. He will love you when you stumble, so rest assured he is for you.
“You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”[1]
The best measure of spiritual maturity is not how much you know about God but how much you imitate his love toward enemies. There is no narrower path than this. Along this way, difficult as it is at times, lies the deepest satisfaction a soul can ever know.
The practices we repeat reveal what we love—or what we are enslaved to. The question is, how do we build
In what areas have you been worrying about your life? What’s the story your anxiety is feeding you? What kind of space do you need to process your anxiety?
Nonetheless, he promises a level of interior and community stability that makes our lives indestructible. So Jesus ends his masterful manifesto with a great promise: If you choose the narrow road, your life is secure.
What makes us secure is not our circumstances but God’s ever-faithful presence in our lives.
