Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3). No one knows the value of something better than a poor person. A wealthy person may be completely oblivious to economic fluctuations but a poor person knows if prices rise or fall by even a few cents. To be poor in Spirit is to not take Spiritual matters for granted. The Poor in Spirit do not waste inspiration. They do not ignore promptings. They do not forget to count each and every blessing, one by one, carefully and completely. The Poor in Spirit do not spend their Spiritual strength on bad things, nor even on merely good or better things, but save it up for only the very best of things. The Poor in Spirit do not assume that current prosperity will continue and flourish, uninterrupted and indefinitely, with nary a dark cloud or an ill wind to dampen their inevitable and never ending happiness and comfort. The Poor in Spirit know that they have the strength to survive tough times, the ability to sacrifice without losing their optimism or peace of mind. For the Poor in Spirit, their faith is unshakeable, their hope is undimmable, and their love for God and for their brothers and sisters is unconquerable. The Poor in Spirit give without grudging, because they know what it is like to be hungry, or naked, or sick or imprisoned. The Poor in Spirit receive without resentment, because they know so well that neither the heights of prosperity can be secured nor the depths of poverty can be secured against solely through their own planning or efforts. The Poor in Spirit recognize that God gives us more than we deserve, more than we dare ask for and more than we can possibly imagine, and that the only proper attitude to this undeniable fact is humility and gratitude and reverence. Our Father wants to give us all that He has, even the Kingdom of Heaven, if we can but choose to be Poor in Spirit.