Happiness Is

The Beatitudes, part 2

Hi to everyone. Today we continue our study of the “happy” characteristics as we look at the beatitudes. “Happiness is contagious, catch it.”

• Happy are the merciful – those who are move with compassion toward the physically downtrodden and the spiritually downtrodden. The merciful can empathize in many things and sympathize in most. The merciful will help to relieve the misery and suffering of those in need. Be merciful. Going back to the ingredients of love, the merciful “thinks no evil” (1 Cor. 13:5). There is no harshly judgmental attitude or grudge holding, no desire for revenge.
   
• Happy are the pure in heart – those who are what God wants them to be from the inside out. The pure in heart are single minded in their devotion to God (James 4:8; Matt. 6:22-23). Like Nathaniel, they have no guile, no ulterior or devious motives (Jn. 1:47). The starting place for those who would be pure in heart is with faith produced by the word (Acts 15:9; Rom. 10:17).
   
• Happy are the peacemakers – those who have a disposition of “a soft answer.” I think of the qualifications of the elder who is not to be a striker or brawler or soon angry. Please understand that peacemakers are not compromisers in regard to error or sin. Peace that is contrary to God’s word fails to bring one to peace with God and is therefore no peace at all. Peacemakers can reunite the divided, stop division and smooth the way for the resolution of arguments. The family is the perfect training ground for the practice of this characteristic isn’t it? Think of the loud, raucous, adversarial and angry dispositions that would be left behind with the practice of peacemaking.
   
• Happy are the persecuted – those whose practice of the faith of Christ brings upon them the displeasure of those who hate the light because their deeds are evil. The righteous will always please God and displease the wicked. It is the pleasing of God that makes us happy. Persecution is the lot of the faithful (2 Tim. 3:12). There will never be agreement or fellowship between light and darkness, righteousness and unrighteousness. If you are being persecuted, you are simply sharing fellowship in the sufferings of Christ.

Mike Glenn