By Dave Austin, Mark Hattas and Cathy Lynn
Co-founders of the Beatitudes Practice, a collaborative work that dives deeper into the various translations of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus delivered thousands of years ago to help us live a more loving, peaceful, and joyful life.
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“Christ lived with an overwhelming sense of purpose.”
“Christ was humble.”
“Christ spent time alone to be with God in prayer.”
“Christ was able to cut through the BS and get to the real reason people should be doing something;
stemming from a deep sense of love for others.”
“Christ welcomed people from all walks of life; including the down and out.”
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Whether you know Jesus to be a prophet, teacher, savior, human being, son of God, or all of these, Jesus of Nazareth profoundly made an impact upon this world. Radical for his time, one thing he taught is to live as Christ and that we can be brought into a union relationship with God.
In looking at the life of Jesus, we see one who has fully embodied the qualities of love, peace, empowerment, freedom, and compassion; a joyful state in its purest form living as Christ and being “one with the Father.” He encouraged his disciples and others to reach for something greater within themselves. He also taught how to be anchored in the presence and power of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
When one of the disciples was struggling and wanted to walk away from their calling, Jesus encouraged them to keep pressing forward by exemplifying that it was not about power or control; it was about shedding the old and cultivating one’s character and true purpose. And, every step of the way, he led by example.
If the Promise is true why is there so much suffering?
One could perceive the world is filled with discontent and struggle. But is it really? Jesus knew that outer circumstances were a result of what was happening inside one’s life; and that our perceptions influence the way we see the world. The key is to bring perception into alignment with love. Now, you may go to church, give your time, talent and treasure, and even study the Bible, yet living as Jesus taught, fully as Christ, may still seem challenging and at times unattainable. One moment you may feel so connected and one with God, then adversity draws you right back into unsettling feelings, old memories, or negative patterns of thoughts and behaviors. What do you do with the fear, hostility, doubt, shame, hurt, sadness, and all of these uncomfortable emotions?
How do we answer the questions that constantly swirl inside our heads?
- Why do I feel so much stress?
- Will I ever be happy and successful?
- Why are my relationships so challenging?
- What is my purpose in life?
- Why do I struggle with money?
The list above quite naturally could go on and on. Even so, if you are like most of us, you know in your heart that there is more for you in life; and on some level you want to have that. The good news (pun intended) is, there’s a solution and answers to these questions.
How do we live as Christ?
Living as Christ is simple in concept. It is living as one with God as Jesus demonstrated during his ministry here on earth. Thankfully, he took this from concept to action, teaching us that anyone is able to live into a more fulfilling life when you allow the wisdom of God to flow through you. Being human has its inherent challenges, but the truth discovered in this oneness with God brings truth to all circumstances; and this truth will set you free.
Still, when we say, “Live as Christ” we must also ask ourselves “Who or what is Christ?” In terms of Christ referring to Jesus, who walked this earth over 2,000 years ago, we naturally accept that “Live as Christ” means you are attempting to live a life as Jesus demonstrated.
In that context, you would aim to ‘walk the walk’ and ‘talk the talk’ that history presents us with in ancient texts much in the same way that Jesus would. We’d follow his lead of how to live the life of “heaven on earth,” for example:
• We’d show love and compassion; even to those who look or behave differently.
• We would seek to release old habits and beliefs that no longer serve a purpose.
• We would demonstrate deep forgiveness to that which needs to be forgiven.
• We would not follow a herd mentality and allow for rigid thinking to fall away.
To embody these examples of Christ-like characteristics is to live as Jesus would; by being who we truly are and being the example of that goodness with everyone we think of, come in contact with, or have the opportunity to influence and affect in positive ways.
When we “Live as Christ,” we embody great strength, courage and character, and we walk as Jesus did in truth, integrity, and faith, which elevates us into a better version of ourselves. How exactly do we do this? Luckily for us the answers have already been provided, which brings us to one of Jesus’ main teachings and often misunderstood practices: the Beatitudes.
A Roadmap Lies Within the Beatitudes
As mentioned above, to live as Christ simply means to live as Jesus did by following what he taught and allowing the Holy Spirit within us, to guide us to our union with God. Once you do this, you’ll realize there is simply no better way to live the richness and beauty this life can bring. All can find hope in these messages; even the meek or the persecuted. Jesus taught this is a “practice” and the Beatitudes serves as a roadmap to lift all of us to a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life. Famous religious leaders have highlighted this in the following ways:
Southern Baptist minister, Billy Graham, said Jesus was speaking to all people of all beliefs when he taught this practice. He said it is where Jesus revealed “the secret of happiness.”
Catholic Franciscan priest, Richard Rohr, wrote in Falling Upward that he often wonders why people don’t put a stone monument of these teachings on a courthouse lawn.
Pope Francis says to allow this practice to “unsettle us, to challenge us, and to demand a real change in the way we live.”
Evangelical Christian pastor and author, Rick Warren, calls them life’s healing choices, and states that Jesus was telling us the ways to be happy, and not how the world tells you to be happy.
Mega-pastor and author, Joel Osteen, calls them “Jesus’ guide to help us live a beautiful, blessed life with the greatest promise of all—salvation.”
Again, the teachings and roadmap these leaders, and so many thousands more, are referring to are what’s contained within the Beatitudes. Most are familiar with the Sermon on the Mount and the wisdom that it has provided for the taking. And yet, there is much more that Jesus laid out for us when he delivered these teachings so many years ago. The Beatitudes focus on love and humility, rather than force and requirements; and they beautifully encapsulate key values of Jesus’ teachings on spirituality and compassion. When you dive deeper into the Beatitudes, you discover a set of practices to live by; that naturally results in an extraordinarily happy life.
What does this practice entail?
At first glance, it can be somewhat hard to interpret the meaning of each Beatitude and they may not seem like easy to follow instructions. For example, what does “poor in spirit” actually mean? But, when we break down the actual translations, they start to become even more clear. Like how each Beatitude begins with the words “blessed are” and then follows with a principle to live your life by. Blessed can also be translated to happy or joyful. Therefore, you can read it as “Happy people are those that…” or “Joyful people are those that…”
And yet, even within this framework, it can still be confusing to understand the meaning of each Beatitude since there are many words and phrases that have been interpreted in different ways. For instance, Jesus’s native language of Aramaic was very much one of tone and vibration; and each word in a sound-based dialect may have seven or even eight different meanings based on tone. This can create issues in translation, as a different language may not even have words to fully represent the original meaning. With this said, there is more to the Beatitudes than meets the eye, or in this particular case, ear. And, by digging deeper into the intent of these teachings, we find that each word is more powerful in meaning than just what we read at face value.
In the English language alone, there are over 100 different named translations of the Bible. Our team, and others before us, have set out on a mission to understand these deeper meanings, including those that might have been lost in translations over time. It required us to let go of what we thought we knew to open up to greater and new understandings. In this deeper study, we discovered that what actually was being presented by Jesus was an exceptional set of transformative daily practices that produced consistent results.
Introducing the “Beatitudes Practice”
From deeper study and collection of information, we created the “Beatitudes Practice” course. In it we guide you to greater understanding the Beatitudes through modern day examples and easy to implement daily practices; so, you too can benefit from being able to consistently live as Christ, which as Jesus taught, is possible for all. This practice has had a massive impact on not only our personal lives, but also for those who have already said “yes” to joining with us along this journey of discovery. Our intention is that you also say “yes” and receive the many benefits that the Beatitudes Practice delivers on a day-to-day basis.
In easy to consume audios that you can listen at your own pace, we break down each Beatitude into three parts; the Lesson, the Parable, and the Practice. This is further complemented with an interactive “Beatitudes 40-Day Practice Guide” that allows you to go deeper and personalize these teachings to your specific life circumstances and experiences.
Through challenges and victories, weak or strong, bring the power of this beautiful union with God into all you do. It is easy to get sidetracked and feel lost at times. When this happens, come back to the “practices” delivered in the Beatitudes to guide you back to the path that Jesus provided us with to live a genuinely more fulfilling and more rewarding life.
The Beatitudes Practice is an easy and effective way to fully understand and live the valuable and treasured teachings of Jesus. Perhaps you find it difficult to grasp how these 2,000-year-old teachings can relate to your life today. But, be assured, if you let that go and allow this course to show you how perfectly aligned it is for modern times, you will be glad you did. And, when you do, you’ll experience the deeper meaning each Beatitude offers, which in turn reveals the thoughts and actions that lead to a happier life.
Let this be a useful guide on your personal journey to “Live as Christ.” We invite you to check out the Beatitudes Practice and experience how it can impact your life.
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