Matthew 5:3 (ESV)
³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This first beatitude brings to my mind the words of Paul in 1 Cor. 2:14. “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him…” (1 Corinthians 2:14). The natural man is the one who views life through worldly-colored glasses. He rejects the gospel because it does not make sense to him because he has embraced the wisdom of this world instead of the wisdom of God. The wisdom of this world says, “Blessed are those who are full of confidence and self-reliance.” As long as a person thinks like that, the beatitude before us will be a statement of foolishness.

What does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means to have a humble opinion of ourselves, understanding our true spiritual condition apart from Christ. We are all sinners who only have a hope of heaven because Jesus, by the grace of God, tasted death for all of us (Hebrews 2:9). If it were not for our sins being washed away by the blood of Christ, we would still be dead in sin and destined for damnation. The problem is, while all are spiritually poor, not all are poor in spirit. What about you? Do you recognize your true spiritual condition apart from Christ? Are you poor in Spirit? Here are some signs that we truly are:

We Realize We Cannot Save Ourselves

We have to wean ourselves from the “I” syndrome, and let Jesus be our Savior. We must depend on Christ for salvation (Philippians 3:3; Romans 8:1). Is there work to be done in order to go to heaven? Yes, works of obedience must be performed. We are not saved by faith alone (James 2:22-24). However, in the end we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), as opposed to our own sinless living. If you even think you can earn your way to heaven, let alone try to do it, you are not poor in spirit!

We will Pray Regularly

Prayer is a demonstration of our reliance on God. Those who are truly poor in spirit are humble enough to realize that they need God’s help in their daily lives (Hebrews 4:16). Every time we pray, we declare our acknowledgment of our weakness and God’s strength.

We Will Be Willing to Forgive Others

When we refuse to forgive others, we demonstrate arrogance. Usually, those not willing to forgive cannot imagine making the same mistakes others do. On the other hand, the poor in spirit have taken a close look at themselves and have seen the ugliness within. They know that they have made mistakes and that they will make mistakes in the future because they are not perfect. Thus, they do not expect brethren to be perfect either. As a result, they are willing to forgive those who sin against them. If you are holding a grudge against someone who has hurt you in the past, you are not poor in spirit. You have forgotten how much you hurt God by your own transgressions.

Jesus said that the poor in spirit will be blessed with a place in the kingdom of heaven. Why? It is simply because they are humble enough to obey God unquestionably, and to ask for forgiveness when they fail. My prayer is that this will always describe me.

As you wind down for the night, think on these things.