Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:16 NABRE
We are in a section with the teaching of Jesus called the Beatitudes, they are blessings, or in a word a way to be happy. The beatitudes are a means to bring a good life now and a promise of even more in the future. They reflect Jesus’ own approach, the way he lived his life. Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the clean of heart, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are those persecuted, finally Jesus says blessed are you when they insult you and persecute because of me. Jesus is claiming an authority no prophet has ever claimed. Not only should his disciples follow Jesus’ commands, but they should be loyal to Him. This underscores how the beatitudes are not just ethical principles, but they are a means to orient our lives around Jesus. Living the beatitudes is imitating Jesus’, the good, suffering and persecution. This is living with a light shining on us, others will see and want to be imitators of Christ as well. Living the beatitudes is how we imitate Christ and give glory to God. Living these disciplines allows God to lift up our lives and make us shining lights in a world that can be dismal.
We are to live a life of purpose, accomplishing something not selfishly but for others. Living the blessings that Jesus has outlined gets ourselves out of the way and allowing the presence of God to bring forth goodness and love through us. God depends on the powerless to show his good works. God works through those who live His will and thus are instruments of the beatitudes.
Do you let your light shine? Is God glorified by your deeds?
We are to live a life of purpose, accomplishing something not selfishly but for others. Living the blessings that Jesus has outlined gets ourselves out of the way and allowing the presence of God to bring forth goodness and love… Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity#dailybibleverse @youversion#BeAnEncourager #light #happy#Matthew #everybodyalways #god#jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood#dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture#bibleverse #verseoftheday #pray#prayer #goodnews #loveeachother#godisgreat #thisVineyard#youversion #everythingalways