Poor in spirit

"I have seen the future and it doesn't work."
-- Robert Fulford

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
--Matthew 5:4

Sometimes a bad day can turn into a bad few days and eventually a bad week. This was the theme at last nights Small Group meeting. A lot of us just had a bad week myself included into the bunch. Sometimes it's hard to get past those "bad days" and think about all the good that's in you life.

For me thinking about the good helps a bit when the bad rears its ugly head. Self-sufficiency is the direct opposite of being poor in spirit. If we are self-sufficient then we are not relying on God or our brothers and sisters when we have those "bad days".

Relying on self usually is our ego reminding us that the world wants us to do it on our own. Without any help from any foreign entities. It is easy to turn people away and say, "I don't need any help with this. I can handle it on my own. I am self-sufficient."

Our journey in life is meant to be lived out with others. Our neighbors, friends, and family no matter how screwed up we may think they are, God has put them in our lives for a reason. It is up to us to utilize those relationships for the betterment of ourselves and the people in our lives.

Right now I am not poor in spirit but I am trying to be more vulnerable in the areas that make me self-sufficient. I am trying to recognize my utter spiritual bankruptcy apart from God. I think we can all take a step back and try to see how flawed we really are and let the helping hands of the people in our lives pick us up from the darkness.