The best thing that you can do for yourself is to “own-up” where you are at in life, and without judgement, define where you would like to be 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years from now.
Taking an honest inventory of your life, while keeping your eyes fixed ahead, will help you bridge the gap between your dream and your current reality.
Go out and be all that God created you to be!!!
📚I’d like to help you reclaim your purpose. Click on https://john-eli.com/work-with-me/schedule-a-call/ to schedule a free 1 on 1 discovery session with me. I only work with a few clients at a time and would love the opportunity to work with you.💻
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Published by John Eli
I am a self-awareness coach (coach for humans), life strategist, blogger and speaker. I’ve spent over 21 years mentoring individuals in life skills, career transitions, relationships, and life recovery. My resume includes pastoral care, behavioral health, and higher education. From an early age, I realized that God created me to bring hope, healing and encouragement to others. I am currently living out my purpose by creating a space where people can rediscover and become all that they were created to be. I currently live in the beautiful state of Arizona with my wife, two dogs, and an antique piano whom I call, “Betty.”
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John Eli Garay, MBA/MS, LAC 
I guess great minds think alike. 😉 This is similar to the point I was making in my recent posts about the Beatitudes, “Be -(Or Not Be-)Attitudes”, the way the Beatitudes trace the journey from being totally lost to being found, saved, mature, and complete.
https://wordpress.com/post/seekingdivineperspective.com/877
https://wordpress.com/post/seekingdivineperspective.com/893
PS I am apparently not good at attaching links that actually open,
so if these won’t open for you, let me know and I will copy and paste.
Blessings – Annie
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Hi Annie,,
Thanks for stopping by. I’d love to read your posts. However, the links didn’t work. Please resend them when you have a free moment.
Have a great Monday!
John
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“Be-(or “Not Be-)Attitudes” – The Road to True Happiness
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them … Matthew 5:1-2
The passage of Scripture known as the “Beatitudes” introduced what is arguably the most well-known sermon of all time, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. I had always considered the Beatitudes beautiful, poetic, and sweet. To me the passage sounded philosophically profound, but not exactly practical. (At least I didn’t know what to do with it.)
Then one Sunday while visiting a church I didn’t normally attend, I heard a message that was the beginning of a series on the Beatitudes. There, in a formal, ritualistic setting, where frankly I didn’t expect to hear anything new or profound, the pastor approached this passage from a different perspective, as the story of Redemption. And although I heard only the beginning of the series, I could tell where the minister was going with it, and I pursued that train of thought in my own studies of the Bible.
Ever since then I have thought of the Beatitudes as a sort of snapshot of the gospel, a “Readers’ Digest version” of the journey of a soul from being utterly lost to being saved, mature, and Christ-like.
“Blessed” here means “happy,” and the “Be-attitudes” tell what the right attitudes are to be ultimately, truly happy. Although some of them do not sound happy at all (“poor in spirit,” “mourn,” “hunger and thirst”), when approached with the right attitude, all these things can lead to the kind of happiness most people can only dream of.
So here, step by step, are what I see as the attitudes we need when faced with the circumstances in life that are inevitable to all of us:
1.) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (vs. 3)
Each and every one of us sooner or later falls into in a state of spiritual bankruptcy. Some of us reach the point where we are ready to admit it, but some aren’t quite there yet; either we are blind to our own condition, or we are in denial. Either way, the wrong attitude can be a roadblock on the journey to true happiness.
WRONG ATTITUDE: “Nothin’ wrong with me.”
RIGHT ATTITUDE: “I’m lost!”
2.) “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (vs. 4)
It’s not enough to realize we are woefully lacking in the spiritual area of life. Some see “spirituality” as more of a personality trait. They might figure, “I’m not that type,” and decline to pursue being “that type.” But denying that one state is better than another will only be another roadblock.
WRONG ATTITUDE: “Yeah, I’m lost. So what?”
RIGHT ATTITUDE: “I’m lost, and this is bad!”
3.) “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (vs. 5)
Contrary to popular belief, meekness isn’t weakness. It isn’t self-loathing or an inferiority complex. It is, rather, having an honest, realistic perspective of ourselves. In the spiritual realm meekness involves being willing to take responsibility for our own attitudes and actions, which is in fact a strong quality to have. As much as the “Blame Game” is in vogue these days, blaming others will only bring our salvation journey to a screeching halt. Whatever part anyone else has played in where I am today, the only person I have any control over is myself. I need the meekness to admit, “I am the one responsible for where I am.” This admission is the beginning of repentance, and a vibrant relationship with God requires repentance up front. Experiencing sorrow over our sins doesn’t seem like a very “happy” place to be, but it is the doorway to much better things!
WRONG ATTITUDE: “My life is a mess, and it’s bad, but it’s my parents’ (or my teachers’ or society’s) fault! ”
RIGHT ATTITUDE: “I’m lost, I’m in trouble, and I am to blame.”
Now if we’re honest with ourselves, we have to add, “and I can’t do anything to help myself!” which brings us to
The Turning Point
4.) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (vs 6)
Now that we’ve faced up to our condition, recognized that it’s not good, and admitted that it’s our own fault, do we just sink into depression, self-loathing, and hopelessness?
I would say, “Without God, yeah …”
But we are NOT without God – or we don’t have to be! Jesus came to show us the heart of a God who loves us and pursues us, even when we run away from Him. The point of “hungering and thirsting” for something better, the point at which we decide to stop running, can be the turning point of our lives. Jesus said later in the same sermon, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) He is the One who can exchange our sin for His righteousness, and He wants to!
WRONG ATTITUDE: “Poor, horrible me! I’m hopeless.”
RIGHT ATTITUDE: “I’m lost, it’s bad, and it’s my fault. But I want something better!”
The Good News (the “gospel”) is that we can have something better. We were created for something better! Those who have reached the point where we realize our lost predicament, own up to it, and turn to God for the remedy – they are people on the threshold of what Jesus called “abundant life!”
Next week we’ll see what the remaining Beatitudes tell us about walking in that abundance, and how much further God’s grace will take us!
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for opening our eyes to our lostness, our misery, and our sin, and for making us aware that You offer a better life to those who desire it and turn to You. Thank You for being willing to free us from our old way of life. Make us willing to receive the new life You offer by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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… and here’s Part 2:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – Jesus (John 10:10)
Last week I started to share with you what the “Beatitudes” say about finding true happiness. The word “Happiness” may be misleading, however, because these days what the world sees as “happiness” can be obtained through a new car, a slimmer body and younger-looking face, a good romantic relationship, or “enough” money, … whatever that means. People chase after these things and more in pursuit of the elusive thing called “happiness.”
I would submit to you that happiness is not a goal but a by-product. If our goal is worthwhile, attaining it gives us that sense of contentment that we long for. For the Christian, that goal is God – knowing Him, being in His will, doing what we were created for, and knowing that He is being glorified in our lives. The more we love Him, the more “happiness” (joy) we have in serving Him.
Last week, we saw how the first four Beatitudes direct the lost person to the point of salvation – being “found”:
1.) “Blessed are the poor in spirit … ” (Matthew 5:3) First we must realize our state of spiritual bankruptcy.
2.) “Blessed are those who mourn …” (vs. 4) We must acknowledge that spiritual bankruptcy is bad.
3.) “Blessed are the meek…” (vs. 5) We must admit responsibility for where we are.
4.) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness …” (vs. 6) We must desire something better.
And as we continue to reach for God, it does get better!
5.) “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (vs 7)
Face it, we all need mercy! “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) God is merciful and wants to forgive us. But as we come to Him for mercy, we can’t at the same time refuse to forgive others. (“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12) Letting go of any grudges is the way we show that we realize the depth of our own sin. The attitude that says, “Their sin is worse than mine!” will only send us back to Square One. Whatever anyone else has done,”Let it go!”
WRONG ATTITUDE: “Forgive me, God, but punish THEM.”
RIGHT ATTITUDE: “God, I am no better than anyone else. Please forgive me, and help me to forgive, too.”
P.S. Forgiveness isn’t a feeling, it’s an act of the will. Even if you still feel angry, you can consciously choose to give the matter to God. He will honor your sacrifice, even if you don’t feel “sincere.” Oddly, once we do make that choice, with God’s help the healing starts, and eventually the feelings won’t torment us so much – they may even go away entirely. (I speak from experience.)
6.) “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (vs 8)
The result of forgiveness is a clean heart! Without all the dirt of sin and corruption we can see God more clearly. However, now that we are made clean, our adversary (Satan) wants all the more to get us muddy again and make it look as though we were never saved in the first place. We should not be ignorant of his schemes! While we should not accept sin in our lives with an “oh well” attitude any more, God doesn’t expect us to be perfect now, and neither should we. Repentance should be a daily prayer. The good news is that God hears that prayer, and every day we can start again with a clean heart.
WRONG ATTITUDE: “Yeah, I still mess up, but oh well, nobody’s perfect.”
RIGHT ATTITUDE: “Lord, purify my heart today. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to You.”
7.) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (vs 9)
Being forgiven means we have peace with God! But what about the people around us? Jesus told His followers, ” ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.’ ” (Mark 16:15) Jesus wants everyone to know and experience the peace with Him that we now enjoy – the peace He died for! – and we should want that, too. As we grow in our faith, it’s time to share that faith with others.
WRONG ATTITUDE: “Praise God I’m saved! Too bad for those other guys.”
RIGHT ATTITUDE: “Salvation is too good to keep to myself!”
8.) “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven … Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (vs 10 & 12)
Here is the sign of the highest level of maturity as believers – rejoicing to be counted worthy to suffer for Jesus. In many parts of the world suffering for the gospel is the normal sign of a Christian. But in America Christians have very little of what could be remotely considered “persecution.”
I admit I have not reached this level of maturity yet. Unbelievers around me either like me, tolerate me, or ignore me. If they are lying about me or accusing me, they’re usually doing it behind my back. I have not yet experienced true persecution. Will I someday be able to rejoice when I am persecuted that I am considered worthy to suffer for Jesus? Only time will tell, but I am confident that whatever my shortcomings, God can give me the strength I need when the time comes, as long as I “abide in Him.”
WRONG ATTITUDE: “I’m happy to serve the Lord, until it gets uncomfortable or inconvenient. Then forget it.”
RIGHT ATTITUDE: “Following Jesus is worth whatever I suffer in this life. Suffering is temporary, but His rewards are forever.”
Wherever we are on the journey of faith, we should all be striving to become more mature and Christ-like. Think about it: if we are suffering for the Lord and rejoicing, what is left to bring us down? “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to earth to live as one of us. Thank You for understanding our weaknesses and being willing to die to give us new life. As we look to You as our only hope, draw us to Yourself, and make us more like You, in Your name, Amen.
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Inspiring
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🔥🔥🔥
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