What mountain are you climbing?

Running up the hill What mountain are you climbing these days?

Does it feel like it’s a long, uphill climb?

Or is it a “mountain top” experience?

Everyone would like to be happy. Most of us spend the majority of our lives searching for happiness – climbing this “mountain” or the next…

Or maybe it’s that one over there?

One day Jesus went up on the side of a “mountain” and gave us the Sermon on the Mount. His sermon starts off with what we call the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes outline what sort of people receive blessings – gifts bestowed by God which bring us supreme happiness.

Ahh, the “mountain” we ought to climb?

According to the Beatitudes those who receive God’s blessings are…

Those who are poor in spirit.
Those who mourn.
Those who are meek…

What do you think of the start of Jesus’ list? Does it include character traits that you thought were important?

Or were you surprised?

The meek? The weak and defenseless? Aren’t the meek ignored and trampled underfoot?

And those who mourn? Can we really be “blessed” when bad things happen, causing us to mourn?

The Sermon on the Mount would have shocked those who first heard it; as it can us today. It is about intentionally living life with God’s values.

It might require running up a different hill.

Sometimes it helps to understand what Jesus meant. The way Jesus used “meek” translates from the original Greek, as “gentle,” “considerate,” and “courteous.” Therefore, those with an attitude of meekness are humble people; they are patient, they don’t need to be first, they restrain their anger, they have a servant attitude. The meek also humble themselves before God – they accept God’s guidance in all things. God is in charge.

Are you teaching your kids to climb up the “Meek Mountain?” How can they do this without being seen as weak?

Humble people are gentle with others and nonviolent.
A humble person wouldn’t brag about how far she could kick a ball but would use her talents to teach someone else.
Humble people know where they come from; they are open to God’s leading in their life.

Taken together the Beatitudes give us a framework for living – attitudes to acquire in order to become faithful disciples leading to blessings beyond measure!

What mountain are you climbing?