3 Questions to Start the Dayনমুনা

What are some of your waking thoughts? Do you have an early morning prayer rhythm?

The first three Beatitudes are the front door to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and offer a rhythm of grace at pivotal points throughout each day.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

(Matthew 5:3-5 NIV).

The Beatitudes spell out attitudes of authentic spirituality in our relationships to God, ourselves, and others. Consider these words of Jesus to his disciples in the form of three questions to kick off the day, and to keep in mind at key moments throughout the day. They don’t represent a sure-fire formula for instant holiness. Rather, as you pull up the blinds on a new day, there are three primary attitudes to adopt, if you want to experience the blessedness of the Beatitudes.

Blessed is the most repeated word in the Beatitudes. It means that if you want to put yourself in the place of God’s blessing, or if you wish to meet with God’s approval, you need to be a person who adopts the attitudes of the Beatitudes.

Among other questions that you ask yourself each day, this first one is crucial to your spiritual well-being.

Question 1: Will I be Depending on God Today?

Attitude: Humility

Blessed are the poor in spirit. The word used for poor in Matthew 5:3 is the word for absolute, grinding poverty. For this person, every day is a rainy day. Notice that Jesus said, poor in spirit He didn’t say, “Blessed are the poor spirited,” or “Blessed are the wimps.” To be poor in spirit means to be utterly dependent on God for everything. It is the attitude of spiritual brokenness.

This notion of spiritual poverty would have been countercultural to those to whom Jesus spoke. The Pharisees would have said, “Blessed are the confident and proud” (Luke 18:9-12). In our day, people would say, “Blessed are the self-assertive, blessed are the independent, or blessed are the rich in spirit.” It still doesn’t sit well to think of ourselves as helpless in God’s hands. We much prefer to be in control, thinking that we surely must be able to work ourselves out of difficulties. I know that I do.

This first question, “Will I be depending on God?” is one I need to return to daily, sometimes hourly. I find it helpful to list the main activities of the day each morning in my prayer journal, and to tell God I am completely dependent on his Spirit, if the tasks of the day are going to amount to anything worthwhile.

Psalm 127:1 (BSB), is a Bible verse that both haunts and inspires me. It starts, “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” Too often I find myself building the house. I am trying to be both builder and architect. The attitude Jesus is encouraging in this first Beatitude is reliance on the Builder. One of the attitudes of the virtuous, according to our Lord Jesus, is that of brokenness, or spiritual bankruptcy. It means living in a posture of humble dependence.

This first question implies that we see ourselves in front of a holy God in complete poverty of spirit. We come to his table with nothing to offer.

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven

The entry point to Christ’s kingdom is poverty of spirit. Jesus once told a story about a Pharisee who stood in God’s presence and told him how impressive he was, and a Publican who bowed his head and said, “God be merciful to me, sinner that I am.” That’s how the Publican entered the kingdom of heaven. It’s the beginning of the Christian life, as well as the whole journey. To access God’s abundant grace, we need to come, with the words of the old hymn, “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy Cross I cling.”

This first Beatitude is like the soil in which every other Christian virtue grows. Every day we need to ask, “To what extent will I be acknowledging God’s sufficiency and depending on him today?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, these words are for me today. I confess my pride and unwillingness to depend fully on you. My need for you is total not partial. Lead me by your Spirit into an attitude of humble dependence hour by hour I pray. I’m so grateful to experience life in the Kingdom of heaven. Amen.

Reflection:

- Why is it so difficult to admit daily that you are “poor in spirit”?

- Review the events on your calendar for the last week. What are some examples of your depending on God, or acting independent of him?

- What has the Holy Spirit said to you through this first Beatitude?

Practice:

- What are some practical ways that you could make poverty of spirit a habit, rather than something you admit only when you are desperate?

- Daniel prayed three times a day. How might you start the day with question one, and fold it into morning, midday and evening?