The Beatitudes ~ Full Text

In September, we discussed the first three beatitudes and how they relate to the first seven steps of the twelve step programs. To review, they are:

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Step 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.

Step 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Step 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him. [In this blog, Jesus Christ]

We recognized our spiritual poverty and turned to our Savior; the first step to returning to His path which leads to a happier life now and the promise of a joyous life to come.

Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.

Step 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Step 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

We made a fearless and searching self-inventory, which made us keenly aware of the exact nature of our sins.  Guilt followed and we mourned our missed opportunities.  Talking honestly to God and to another human being brought is comfort and the promise of the atonement.

Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.

Step 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Step 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

We were humbled as we approached God and asked for his help, not just to take away the pain or even the sin, but to take away our sinful natures and to give us a new heart.
 

 

Here, briefly, are the rest of the steps of the twelve step programs, along with the beatitude that I believe most closely fits the intent of the step:

Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.

Step 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and become willing to make amends to them all.

Step 9. Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

You may wonder what asking for forgiveness and making amends to other has to do with being merciful.  It is because to be forgiven, we have to forgive others, including ourselves.  Only they will we obtain the mercy we seek.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.

Step 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

By the time we get to step 10, we seek only God and His righteousness.  When we recognize a fault, we repent quickly and take that sin to the throne of grace.  We do "hunger and thirst after righteousness" in every sense of the word.

Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.

Step 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge to His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Because Jesus Christ has created in us a new heart, and because we are quickly repenting when we sense we have sinned, our hearts are pure.  We see God all around us in our beautiful world, in our blessings, and in the faces of God's children.  Through the Holy Spirit, we can become aware of His will for us each day and through that same Spirit, have the strength to do it.

 

Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.

Step 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics [and anyone else who needs Jesus Christ] and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The only way to keep our new lives is to share our lives with others.  We don't attempt to force our experiences on anyone and we avoid a spirit of contention at all times, for contention is of Satan, not God.  People want to be around us because the feel a sense of peace and comfort and Christ-like love when they are with us. 

 

We have been given a precious gift: the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.  Now, we must share His love with others so that they can see His light in our countenances and seek that Light of Christ for themselves.

Text © 2012 Gebara Education

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