Introduction to Be-attitudes

Attitudes (Lorie album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Introduction to Be-Attitudes

God knew that He had created humans to make a choice between loving themselves (their way, possessions, control, etc.) or God and His way, control, blessings/grace, benefits. He gave those who chose His love and way, many benefits otherwise known as the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.). But he also knew that choosing His love and benefits, would not be easy, so He required that those who wanted to choose His love and way would require a change in attitude toward life and the way to live it. His Son Jesus called this change in attitude: Be(lessed)-attitude.

This change in attitude was necessary because the world they lived in would strongly tempt them not to live God’s way, but to live to their benefit, earth’s way. They would be tempted to live for fame and fortune. God’s way would bring the benefits of the fruit of the Spirit, but it would also bring mourning, hunger, and persecution. Why these difficulties? Well if they did not exist, we would be tempted to seek God’s way for their own popularity, and to promote our personal interests. And this is directly opposed to God’s way and control.

God’s way of living contradicts the world’s way. If you want to live for God you must be ready to say and do what seems strange to the world. You must be willing to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others abuse. By giving up your own rights in order to love and obey God and to serve and love others, If you are willing to do this you will be invited to join God in a everlasting love-fest.

Therefore God provided these be-attitudes. To further understand what they are you must understand that the be-attitudes are:

1. A standard of conduct for all those who choose to love Him and to choose heaven ove3r earth.

2. They clarify His values (what bring s eternal shared love) with worldly values (here on earth only).

3. They contrast the belief in self with the belief and trust in God.

4. They are what the requirements to live in heaven with shared love for eternity.

Because of these factors, the be-attitudes are not optional or multiple choice – pick what you like and leave the rest. They must be taken as a whole. They describe how we should live if we want to share love with God for eternity.

Each attitude tells us how to be blessed. “Blessed,” means that you have chosen to love God rather than the world and yourself. The be-attitudes don’t promise laughter, pleasure, or earthly prosperity. To God “blessed” means the experience of the fruit of the spirit, independent of earthly/personal circumstances. To find the love and the other fruit of the spirit, like joy and peace, the deepest form of happiness, we need to commit to love God with our WHOLE heart, mind, spirit, and strength, no matter the earthly cost.

Jesus, our guide and model, said that God’s requirements to enter His world (shared-love) does not include our wealth, power, and authority. God’s lovers need to have different blessings (Be-attitudes), and benefits (fruit of the Spirit). Is your attitude a carbon copy of the world’s self-centerness, pride, and lust for control of your life and others, or do you live your life with humility and is your life under control by God.