Beatitude
The word beatitude is often translated as “blessed” or “happy”. You are probably most familiar with the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew. You know “blessed are the merciful…” or “happy are those…” In a nutshell, beatitude means happiness.
As children we were always happy. We didn’t stress out about our problems. We trusted completely in our parents. We were thankful for what we had. There was almost always a smile on our faces.
We spend the majority of our time and energy in life seeking fulfillment and happiness. Unfortunately, that usually means the endless pursuit of pleasure, power, and possessions. These lead to only more emptiness and dissatisfaction with life. What if there was a way to forego this and focus our attention on the attainment of real happiness, of eternal joy? That’s what Jesus gave us in the Beatitudes. They are the roadmap to happiness and fulfillment.
Attitude
As Christians we are able to approach the difficult times in our lives with the hope that God is with us. When we are living in accord with His will, doing what He wants us to do—which is the same thing as what will make us happy, because God wants us to be happy in Him—we free ourselves from the need to seek happiness out. We must always remain positive, seeing the good in the bad, the light in the dark, the purpose of everything and God’s plan working in our lives.
This positive attitude or outlook on life allows us to maintain happiness and joy at every stage of our lives because we are able to see that there is something greater than ourselves. There is something greater than our problems and worries. Not to say that our concerns are insignificant, but often times they are fairly selfish and self-centered.
But this attitude frees us from falling prey to the possessive passions of life that lead only to our demise. This attitude helps us to transcend all of that and fix our gaze on God who is our ultimate end. We are able to see that everything we say, everything we do, every situation or circumstance that we pass through, are all part of His plan to make us into saints, to get us to Heaven where we will enjoy eternal happiness in His presence and that of the saints.
Gratitude
We tend to be fairly ungrateful with what we have and we are also seeking more and more. Gratitude is important in this regard because not only do we free ourselves from the unfruitful pursuit of worldly pleasures as I mentioned earlier, but it also allows to realize how blessed we really are.
“Remember the marvels the Lord has done.”
~ Psalm 105:5
Gratitude shows us that everything we have and are is a result of the boundless graciousness of God. This is worth remembering. For some reason we tend to focus on the negative events, the worst part of our day is always what we remember. Look at the news. It is hardly ever good things that are being reported on, but rather the tragedies—murders, rapes, terrorist attacks, robberies, etc. What about the good things that people are doing?
This is where gratitude comes in. It reminds us yet again of the many great things God has done for us. That all of our successes, joys, and talents come from Him. We see life itself as more than mere chance, but rather as a precious gift. Our sufferings take on a purpose and help us to grow and better ourselves. Everything takes on a new light when we take the focus off of ourselves and acknowledge His role in our lives.
The Roadmap to Happiness
I was out for a walk with my 10-month-old son yesterday and as I prayed I started to think about all of the great things God has done for me, the amazing way He has worked in my life. I realized that too often I am asking Him to gimme more and not thanking Him for what He has already done. Reflecting on every aspect of my life I could see His hand at work, pouring out abundant blessings. I couldn’t help but be grateful!
My attitude has changed drastically since I’ve become a Christian. I have a more positive outlook on things and see each day as full of opportunities and blessings. This doesn’t mean I don’t have my bad days, or weeks. But my perspective on life has changed completely. I see the light even in the darkness.
A couple of weeks ago I was at the grocery store and the cashier asked me how I was doing. Instead of the standard “good, how are you” I replied “I’m blessed.” She was caught of guard and explained that although they are not supposed to talk about God in the workplace, she was glad that I had said it. With those two simple words “I’m blessed” her day from that point forward was changed. She realized that she too was blessed. What an easy way to share your faith!