The Beatitudes: A Journey of Becoming, Not Doing
MATT CHANDLER
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“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:3-4 (CSB)
For several years, I’ve been trying to learn Brazilian jujitsu with my son, and let me tell you: It is a gut check.
I’m not young, I’m not fast, and it’s not uncommon for some 16-year-old to submit me. I think I’ve finally mastered the hip escape or the baseball choke, and then boom — a new position, a new opponent, and I’m back to white-belt zero. It’s a relentless, humbling cycle of being broken down and built back up.
If we’re honest, life can be a lot like that, can’t it? You hit a high where you feel like you’re finally cruising, and then you slam into a season in the valley, getting worn out and maybe a little lost, wondering where God is. We’ve been sold this illusion that the Christian life is a graph that only moves up and to the right. But that’s not reality.
When Jesus stepped up to teach in Matthew 5, fresh off healing massive crowds, He didn't give a TED Talk. He gave the foundational operating system for a beautiful, unshakable life. We call them the Beatitudes. Many of us have looked at these as a spiritual checklist. Pure in heart? Check. Merciful? Check. It feels like another set of rules to earn something.
But what if the Beatitudes aren’t a list of things we must do? What if they are a rock-solid promise of who Jesus is building us to be?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit … Blessed are those who mourn …” (Matthew 5:3-4).
The word “blessed” here means a deep, heavy joy that cannot be shaken by circumstances. It’s a peace that holds steady right in the eye of the storm.
Jesus isn’t looking for people who have their lives perfectly assembled. He’s inviting you, right in the middle of your glorious mess, to let Him forge these qualities in you. He doesn’t just want the polished, Sunday-best part of your life. He wants the whole thing — your mind, body, ragged soul.
Picture a magnificent tapestry. The front is a stunning masterpiece, but if you flip it over, it’s a chaotic tangle of knots, loose ends, and stray threads. That’s what God does with our broken, knotty lives. He takes the heartbreaks, the deep disappointments, the confusing struggles, and He weaves them into something breathtaking. Every high, every devastating low, every moment, is part of His refining process, shaping us into people of mercy, purity, and peace.
Your journey isn’t a straight line; it’s a coiling thread, looping through ups and downs but always progressing. And God is right there with you, using every single bit of it to transform you.
Lord, thank You for loving me in every season and inviting all of me. Help me to surrender my worries and to trust Your work in my life. Shape me to be more like You, even when I can’t see the way forward. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
The Beatitudes reveal how God is shaping you into His image, not through a checklist but through His grace. Embrace this transformational journey with Becoming Like Jesus, the new book from pastor Matt Chandler.
ENGAGE
Check out the new podcast series Between Sundays with the Chandlers, where Matt and his wife Lauren share honest, Scripture-rooted conversations about following Jesus in the middle of everyday life — whether that’s navigating work, raising kids, managing relationships, or handling the week’s busyness.
Enter to WIN your very own copy of Becoming Like Jesus by Matt Chandler. To celebrate this book, Matt’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by filling out the form here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and notify them via email by Monday, May 18, 2026.}
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Hebrews 13:5, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (ESV).
Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (ESV).
Think back on a recent season of life that felt like a valley. How might you reframe that experience if you knew God was using it to build one of the Beatitudes in you?
Read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-11. Which one feels the most challenging for you right now, and how can you invite God into that specific area of your life this week? Share with us in the comments!
© 2026 by Matt Chandler. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Monday, 11 May 2026.
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