: Our culture chases likes and affirmation, but Jesus says the persecuted are blessed. Persecution is not about being combative or obnoxious—it’s about suffering for righteousness’ sake. When we endure rejection for following Him, it proves we belong to His kingdom.

Our culture thrives on outrage and winning arguments, but Jesus blesses the peacemakers. Peacemaking means laying down the need to “win” in order to reflect the heart of God, who made peace with us through Christ. True peace doesn’t ignore conflict—it brings healing, truth, and reconciliation.

Purity of heart isn’t about flawless perfection—it’s about devotion and wholeness. In a distracted and cynical age, Jesus calls us to undivided hearts: free from hypocrisy, surrendered to God, and fully present with the people around us. The promise is clear—those with pure hearts will see God.

In a world quick to cancel and slow to forgive, Jesus calls us to mercy. Mercy doesn’t excuse sin or enable abuse—it reflects the mercy we’ve received from Christ. Real mercy changes how we relate to God, ourselves, and others, offering compassion without abandoning justice.

Jesus doesn’t bless those who achieve righteousness but those who crave it. Righteousness is the Spirit’s work in us, which kills pride, removes shame, and reshapes how we relate to God, ourselves, and others. In a world hungry for likes, only God can truly satisfy.

In a world where outrage and dominance are celebrated, Jesus blesses the meek. Meekness is not weakness but strength under control. The meek inherit the earth not by conquest but by the sure promise of Christ, which reshapes how we relate to God, ourselves, and others.

Jesus blesses those who mourn sin and its effects. In a culture that filters pain and denies brokenness, we are called to grieve what sin destroys in us and around us. Mourning focuses us on the real problem—sin—and the real solution—Christ.

To be poor in spirit is to admit our emptiness before God. That humility flips the script—shaping how we see Him, ourselves, and others. Dependence on grace kills pride, frees us from comparison, and opens the door to God’s kingdom.

In a culture marked by outrage and polarization, the Beatitudes call us to meekness and mercy. Meekness admits I do not have everything 100% right, while mercy remembers you do not either. If we embraced these two traits, our nation would be calmer, kinder, and closer to the heart of Christ.

To be poor in spirit is to be spiritually bankrupt. This means that we have nothing in ourselves that can help us and nothing to offer for our salvation or preservation. Spiritual poverty is a dependance on Christ for everything—our salvation, our preservation, and our future.