"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God."
Matthew 5:3


I used to think that this meant Christians were supposed to be very sad, serious, with no self confidence.


Now I call these the beatitudes of JOY!


Jesus is speaking of our dependence on him for our best in life. ..to be humble enough to realize how much we need him, to take pride in his gifts to us and be utterly grateful for his ultimate gift.


Yes, I eagerly seek God and believe that if I keep trusting God and seeking his way, I will find the fullness of life that he promises.  We, as Christians and disciples of Jesus have every reason to be joyful in spite of circumstances.  Because Jesus took the consequences of our sin, we can come before God in his holiness.  We no longer have to sin for we are not under the power of evil.  We're still human and yes, we still need Jesus and his forgiveness, but do not have to be slaves to sin and are free to grow in character and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit.