Beatitude: Those Who Mourn

Beatitude: Those who mourn.

Beatitude means being in a state if utmost bliss, according to the Meriam-Webster Dictionary. Well here is a list of utmost blissfulness from Jesus's Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5  (ESV)

The Beatitudes:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Today's thought are on those who mourn. Each day a different beatitude will be examined. Of course the idea is for you to have a daily blessing!

Mourning is grieving. Grief can be because of the lost of a loved one, economic hardship, injustices of some sort, or even grieving because the person fails to measure up to God's expectations.  Many of us mourn for other people who are destined for eternal persecution.

Mourning for the physical condition is not what I see as the emphasis here. For instance, being down because the person does not have material things does not result in bliss. In fact it's self-centeredness, and is not trusting God. God never promised us earthly treasures, but did our needs. If you are alive today, thank Him. You don't deserve to be!

On the other hand, mourning the loss of a loved one can be selfish or generous, and maybe even both. For instance, perhaps mourning because a loved one has died is noble because it's associated with loving others. On the other hand, mourning because one will miss the departed person is more self-centered. Of course it is a natural human response, but it's really feeling sorry for oneself.

If the departed was a lost sinner, because the person may be in hell, is a cause of mourning. That is a loving reaction. God will honor that.

Mourning because of the condition of the world is one of justice. Injustice is because the world has turned against God. Mourning for the world is noble because just as God so loved the world, we must too. Mourning for the world is noble. Noah mourned for the world when those on it died. Abraham mourned for the world when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. It was just in both cases, but the injustice was the world's disobedience.

The issues of abortion and same-sex marriage right now are on the hearts of many. Both are an injustice to mankind. Christians should never hate them for their views, but mourn for them. Why? Because their injustice can lead to eternal death.

Killing the Jews was unjust. Even though most of them were sinners, as we are, Hitler had no authority to cleanse the earth. It was unfair to those Christians, Jews, and even unbelievers that National Socialists destroyed because many of them were deprived of their personal decision to be born-again. Taking life is always injustice, and it's noble to mourn the loss of life.

At this point in time, even Christians are ignoble because as many of the unborn are dying, as people were during the holocaust, they just sing a little louder. Their song is a merry one which takes their minds off injustice. We are not blessed when we fail to mourn. The same goes for racial injustice, although that justice does not include liking diverse cultures and religions. We should treat everyone the same, but respect for them is limited by what they believe.

I mourn for me. Each and every time I sin, I mourn for me because I am weak.  We must all do that because we all are weak. When I fail God, I know that I deserve death, but realize that I am totally dependent on God to forgive me. I can't restore myself, but must depend on him. I mourn sometimes because I try to forgive my own sins, and fail to depend on God for deliverance.

The old adage, before God will forgive you, you must forgive yourself, is hogwash and heretical. We have no authority to pardon our own wrongs,, and the presumption that we can trivializes redemption.

True forgiveness can only be obtained when we realize that only God can truly forgive.

I not only mourn when I sin, but also when I'm presumptive enough to think that I can change things myself. God honors my mourning, I'm certain, because I recognize my human frailty, and understand that I don't deserve anything! He knows that I mourn, nor for me, but because I neglect Him.

Mourning is tightly knit to attitude. If we mourn because of the things of God, we are blessed. If we mourn because our own self is trivialized, then mourning is not a blessing.

Even mourning for the dead is a good thing because it shows a loving attitude. I even fall short there. Since we're all destined to die the first death, seldom can I truly mourn for the deceased. Because I am poor at empathy often I do not mourn for those who lost the loved one. When I do mourn for those things, I am elated because mourning is a good thing, and expected. We can never trivialize the value of human life because God loves all of those who have died.

God even loved Stalin and Hitler. That seems unfair, but God so loved the world, included dictators too. God surely even cried because they died and went to hell, and we should too. Of course, God cried hard when they were committing their atrocities because God so loved the ones who were being killed and denied their right to longevity. I still think on the mindset of the German people, and mourn for their falling for deception.

I hate the condition of the world and what the church has become even though I criticize them vehemently. Why? Because they are lost, but God want's that none should perish.

Mourning is the display of caring. I mourn for myself when I realize that I don't care. Apathy is the inability to be  mourn. When people reflect on the plight of others and the emotions of God, that's a good thing. It's a sign that we care, and if we care, we mourn. Mourning if done as God wills, will result in God's blessings. Of course we can't fake God out, or mourn just to receive blessings. Mourning must be heartfelt, not just done out of duty.