Within You

A Gift for Mom! 🤍

One of the many struggles of the modern church is its ability to connect to the heart, mind, and soul of the normal, everyday person. How do we apply this list of rules, parables, stories, characters, and lessons to the 2015 Christian? How can we possibly keep people interested in something that seemingly happened 2,000 years ago? How can I apply this to my life?

In a recent church study, I dove into the Beatitudes of Jesus. For a quick brush up of the Beatitudes, they are the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5: 3-12, and they go like this:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for their Righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5: 3-10, NIV)

The word “righteousness” seems to have been coined by the Church. In the context we hear it in today, its meaning seems to be referring to something spiritual or eternal. However, the word “righteousness”, defined in the dictionary, actually means, “being or having the quality of being morally right or justifiable.” The Greek form of the word means, “having justice”. Being righteous is not something that only can occur in the depths of the church building or in the sweet whispers of prayer. Being righteous is not something that occurs from voting for the right political party or posting a Facebook status about something you think you have the correct opinion about. Being righteous comes from within you. Being righteous involves humanitarian issues like taking care of the planet, providing for the impoverished, and helping the homeless. Being righteous involves human issues, like not flipping of the person beside you who cut you off, or seeing past a stereotype.

Being righteous is not about being right, being righteous is about doing the right thing.

The final Beatitude reads, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for their righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing the right thing. Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing the good thing. The Kingdom of Heaven is referred to 32 times in the book of Matthew. The Kingdom of Heaven is the basis for the teachings of Jesus and the basis for the New Testament. The Kingdom of Heaven is what many would say is the ultimate goal. However, in Luke 17:20, Jesus reveals to us that the Kingdom of Heaven is somewhere entirely different. Jesus says, “The Kingdom of Heaven is not something that can be observed, nor will people say ‘Here it is’ or ‘There it is’ because the Kingdom of Heaven is W I T H I N Y O U.”

The Kingdom of Heaven is within ME. The Kingdom of Heaven is right here, right now. I have hope for eternal life because I am a believing Christian and I am a part of the Kingdom of Heaven! The Bible is God and I am with God and God is within me. How applicable is His word? It affects my every breath!

Start reading the Beatitudes in this way:

“Blessed are the humble.

Blessed are those who suffer.

Blessed are those who trust in God.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for doing the right thing.

Blessed are those who are understanding.

Blessed are those who are utterly honest.

Blessed are those who edify one another.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing good.”

I challenge you to open your mind and start reading the Bible through this lens: God is within you. The Kingdom of Heaven resides in you. The Word of God is applicable to you. All you have to do is look within yourself.

So God Made a Grandmother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

Order Now!

Faith

Haylee Lewis

I recently graduated from Harding University and am now back living in Kansas City, Missouri. I work as a museum educator- I give tours to kids and let them touch 100 year old stuff...it is the coolest job ever! When I am not at a museum or in a classroom, I am probably day-dreaming about owning my own bakery, cheering on my Kansas City Royals (World Series Champs!!), or playing cards with my hilarious family. I am a firm believer in the Good News, good people, and good food. If you want to see more pictures of me, my man, and my basset hound, follow me on Instagram: @caribouleww.

I Lost My Sight at 16—But It Wasn’t the End of My Vision

In: Faith

After my father shot me, I lay in a hospital bed, and my world went dark. I was 16 years old. The injury left me completely blind. But the darkness didn’t stop there. As my physical sight disappeared, something else came into focus—the depth of the wounds I had carried long before that moment, wounds I had never fully allowed myself to see. For years, I had learned how to survive without asking too many questions. I had learned how to minimize what hurt, how to explain things away, how to keep moving forward as if everything were normal. But...

Keep Reading

Ministry Starts Inside Your Own Four Walls

In: Faith

When people hear the word ministry, they often think of missionaries, or the pastor who preaches every Sunday, but in our home, ministry belongs to all of us—even our kids. Growing up, I didn’t think of myself as a ministry kid. Still, when my dad packed our old Astro for the summer and we all piled in, we were on mission. Each kid had a part to play in my dad’s evangelical magic shows (yes, you read that right!). My brother would juggle, my older sister sang, my middle sister flipped the projector slides that shone pictures of Jesus on...

Keep Reading

These Holy Small Things

In: Faith, Motherhood

My 8-year-old-daughter has recently taken up sewing, to my simultaneous delight and chagrin. My delight because I too love sewing; my chagrin because her enthusiasm often outpaces my own abilities, namely, in the undertaking of tedious projects with no pattern. Take, for example, the cloth doll diaper we designed and stitched up together. Granted, the design was fairly basic to draw up and scale. But the minuscule nature of the work, both for my hands and head, was enough to throw me into existential questioning. It was one of those moments when you wonder how the sum of your life...

Keep Reading

Life Lessons from My Grown Children

In: Faith, Motherhood

“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.” – Rabindranath Tagore Quietly communing with a loved one in the early morning hours is such an intimate and precious time. Visiting with one’s grown child when all is dark and still is one of life’s purest pleasures. I remember the conversation clearly. My daughter’s husband, small children, and father were all asleep as we whispered and chatted. She and I are both fidgeters by nature, unable to be still for long. This inner restlessness must be remedied, and we are compelled by biology to...

Keep Reading

My Prayer Is Simple Now: “I Believe; Help My Unbelief.”

In: Faith

I have spent most of my life in faith. Not circling it or analyzing it from a distance, but inside it—learning its language before I even realized I was learning it, shaping myself around it in ways that felt as natural as breathing. I was raised in Christian Science, which is a very particular kind of faith. It’s not really about “believing” in the way most people think. It’s about understanding. Aligning your thoughts with what is ultimately true about God and reality. If you can understand rightly, you can be well. If you can see clearly, healing follows. So...

Keep Reading

Your Worth Is Not Someone Else’s To Measure

In: Faith, Living

Insecurity is something we all carry in one form or another. For me, it has probably always looked confident and outgoing from the outside. But internally, it can feel heavy, complicated, and exhausting at times. And when someone comes along whose behavior reinforces those insecurities, it amplifies what was already there. There was someone I had hoped to genuinely connect with, but it was clear from the start that the feeling wasn’t mutual. From the beginning, their wall was up. No matter how kind I tried to be or how carefully I showed up, it never came down. Their distance...

Keep Reading

Lord, Give Me Faith Like Hannah

In: Faith

Woman walking in field with hand in wheat

Hannah knew what it was like to feel forgotten. She often clutched her empty womb and thought Surely the Lord has forgotten me. She knew the bitter sting of feeling isolated and alone. She knew the anguish of praying day after day after day and seeing no fruit, not even a bud, from her faithfulness. Hannah knew what it was like to feel like the weight of the world was on her, and her hope may have dwindled. Even those around her did not offer encouragement. Quite the opposite—they did their best to sow seeds of discouragement. Yet Hannah pressed...

Keep Reading

God Carries Me Through the Deep Waters of Change

In: Faith, Living, Motherhood

“Ahhh!” My underwater scream garbled in my snorkel tube as the manta ray’s cavernous mouth swept a hand’s distance from my face. My fingers tightened around the surfboard until my knuckles ached. My arms trembled. I jerked my head side to side, searching for my daughters, Mia and Megan. Recent college graduates, they had joined me on one last mother-daughter vacation before launching their adult lives. They floated easily on the vibrant Hawaiian water, relaxed, trusting. I wanted to borrow their calm. Earlier, our guide had explained that the LED lights built into the surfboard attracted plankton the way college...

Keep Reading

Faith After a Rare Disease Diagnosis

In: Faith, Motherhood

My pastor frequently speaks of “kid pain” and acknowledges there’s nothing like it. I can testify to that. After nine months of uncertainty and unexplained issues following the birth of our now 4-year-old daughter, Harlow, we finally received her diagnosis of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Deficiency (PDCD), a life-limiting mitochondrial disease with no cure and no FDA-approved treatments. It was heartbreaking. In moments like these, a parent can fall into complete desperation. You go through a range of emotions almost too fast to name: fear for your child’s life; anxiousness about how much time you’ll get with them; overwhelming grief. And...

Keep Reading

What If I Don’t Hear God’s Voice?

In: Faith

There have been many times over the years when I’ve heard others share stories of how the Lord spoke to them or gave them a sign. Seashells scattered along a sandy beach, numbered to represent how many children they would have. A quiet walk in the park, followed by a clear sense that another little one was coming. What a blessing, I think, when I hear and read their stories. I often wonder how much more faith they must have than I do—to know with such certainty that what they heard was truly God speaking. I listen, I smile, and...

Keep Reading

Who's In Your Circle?

Journal

Who's In Your Circle?

Prepare Him Room

Faith

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

Haylee Lewis

I Lost My Sight at 16—But It Wasn’t the End of My Vision

Ministry Starts Inside Your Own Four Walls

These Holy Small Things

Life Lessons from My Grown Children

My Prayer Is Simple Now: “I Believe; Help My Unbelief.”

Your Worth Is Not Someone Else’s To Measure

Lord, Give Me Faith Like Hannah

God Carries Me Through the Deep Waters of Change

Faith After a Rare Disease Diagnosis

What If I Don’t Hear God’s Voice?

Get It Now

So God Made a Mother

Within You

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

I Lost My Sight at 16—But It Wasn’t the End of My Vision

Ministry Starts Inside Your Own Four Walls

These Holy Small Things

Life Lessons from My Grown Children

My Prayer Is Simple Now: “I Believe; Help My Unbelief.”

Your Worth Is Not Someone Else’s To Measure

Lord, Give Me Faith Like Hannah

God Carries Me Through the Deep Waters of Change

Faith After a Rare Disease Diagnosis

What If I Don’t Hear God’s Voice?

Previous Post

Next Post

You May Also Like