May 28

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” —MATTHEW 6:33

In my late teens, some friends and I devised a questionnaire that began with questions about young people’s main ambition in life and how they hoped to achieve it. The majority said their main ambition was to be happy. Being happy is what Jesus talked about in the Beatitudes, but not a superficial happiness. He used the word ‘blessed’, which is a lasting deeply rooted inner contentment, regardless of circumstances.

The only problem is that in the Beatitudes Jesus talks about happiness being for the ‘poor in spirit’, for those who ‘mourn’ and are ‘meek’; the qualities most of us run away from! The reason is because He was not talking about happiness being found in the physical, material realm, but in the spiritual realm. It is not the ‘poor in pocket’ but the ‘poor in spirit’ who realize that in themselves they do not have what it takes to be what God created them to be.

Human beings are the only living species made up of body, soul and spirit. Our bodies are our physical beings, which both plant and animal life possess. We make our bodies happy with essentials like grooming, exercise, clothing, food and shelter. Our souls are our personalities; our character traits, likes and dislikes, which animals also have. We make our souls happy with material goods, relationships and enjoying the things we do. Our spirit is that part of us which has the ability to question the deeper, eternal things of life, such as where do I come from? Why am I here and where am I headed? You won’t find a cat questioning the purpose of her life, or a dog wondering about his future.

The point is that most people feed their bodies first, their souls next, and their spirits last, with many neglecting to feed their spirits at all. They’ve got it backwards. To feed our bodies and souls first, we are feeding the temporal things of life, which leaves us dependent upon ourselves, and very often leads to dissatisfaction and emptiness. It’s when we feed our spiritual side first; reaching outside of ourselves to something much bigger, that we are feeding the eternal. It’s in seeking the truth, seeking God first that Jesus tells us, “all these things will be given to you as well.” In the first beatitude, He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” That is our poverty, our weaknesses and failures exchanged for the riches of Christ. This is what leads to the true and lasting happiness God intended for us.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for giving us the capacity to question, and discover that we are here to be reconnected to You, and to live for your glory. May I always keep nourishing my spiritual side every day of my life.

TO REFLECT UPON: Am I more inclined to feed body and soul first, or spirit first?