life. By saving your life for your own purposes — simplying living selfishly — means you will ulti mately lose your destiny. On the other hand, losing your life — giv ing it in the service of Christ for others — will ultimately give you the true fullness of daily existence. Consider the paradox of the sec ond Beatitude, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). To be "blessed" means to be satisfied or joyful. Some time ago I picked up a copy of the New York Times and found a quarter page given to an article entitled, "Forgotten Laugh ter, Forgotten Prayer." The author was saying that Americans have really forgotten to laugh. He com mented, "I do not mean some kind of 'Pepsodent smile' that you turn on and off, but real belly- laughter coming all the way up through one!" He continued to observe, "We have forgotten how to pray. I do not mean automatic prayers when you need money, help on an exam, or some touch of special healing. I am talking about real intercession in com munion with God. Many Americans have forgotten how to enjoy life. We have become so perverse that we love things and use people, when we ought to be using things and loving people!" Happy is the man who is at peace with God as well as his fel low man. More than this, however, happy is the man whose peace with God makes him at peace with himself. As you have been born anew into the family of God, you can say you are one of God's chil dren. Then your self-image is some thing that has completely elevated your life and has given you an in-
obeys something. To follow Cod's will implicitly gives you a far great er freedom than if you are simply enslaved to your own ego. This is the way actually to enlarge your life. Finally, one who is "poor in spir it" seeks the righteousness that is beyond his own (vs. 20). The Apostle Paul, before his conver sion, was a Pharisee of the Phari sees. He explained that prior to his knowing Jesus Christ, he had gone about seeking to establish his own righteousness based only on the law. The fact he revealed is, that the righteousness of the law will carry you no higher than the level of the law itself. It is only the righteousness of Jesus Christ that can take you all the way to God. Righteousness really means a right relation between two or more per sons. When you have said "yes" in moving all the way to Cod, Jesus Christ becomes the end of the law for righteousness because of your belief. Are you willing today in humil ity, honesty and openness to God, to enter into His Kingdom and His fullness? Let God be Lord in your life. Let Him give you His perfect directions. Only thereby can you know His joy and power. To be a member of the kingdom of heaven now in this world is the greatest security and the greatest quality of life you will ever find. Jesus Christ will make you a greater person for walking with Him than you ever could possibly be without Him! BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MOURN Life is often very paradoxical. Jesus declared, "Whosoever shall save his life shall lose it." In es sence, this is a basic philosophy of
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