Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. – Lk 6:22
Friends, God is good, all the time!
Mindsets matter when we can't specify everything required to effectively practice our faith or choose the experiences that should be faced in life. So, we are expected to make decisions and modify our behaviors under changing conditions. The Christian beatitudes pronounced by Jesus in the gospel support formidable and lasting Christian mindsets that we shouldn't expect only good things to happen to us or hope to receive praise from others because there are both blessings and persecutions for being a Christian.
Jesus's pronouncements of the beatitudes to the crowd of disciples set the tone for the rest of his ministry. Jesus knew that it was his destiny to suffer and die on the cross. But he also knew that such a painful end would be the means for his glory both in Heaven and earth, and so should the Christian endure whatever comes his or her way. Because Jesus Christ suffered and died to attain his glory, we are also to commit our lives to Him, make holy decisions, and modify our behaviors to warrant the reward of joy He has promised us.
The Christian life is a mix of price and promise; joy and pain; persecution and glory. Jesus said, "Blessed, are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in Heaven." When we call to mind the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross and the lives of the saints, we appreciate the need to live by Christian mindsets that are animated by the beatitudes. The beatitudes are a true powerhouse for the right mindsets that should underpin our holy actions and desires and cause us to accept all our experiences as Christians. Being Christians is not going to be easy, but there are unsurpassable rewards that await us.
People who believe in others do what they see and hear from them. As Christians, we uphold all that Jesus has taught and left us with. 1 John 1:3 says, "We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ." Our fellowship with Jesus and the saints is certain if we live by the mindsets of motivated by the beatitude. Prayer blessings: Lord in your light help us to see and follow the right light. Amen.