LIVING WITH THE BEATTITUDES AND BIPOLAR
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Posted By: agnes levine on September 24, 2008 Jesus Christ gave us the eight Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, recorded for all posterity in the Gospel of Matthew, the first Book of the New Testament of the Bible. Jesus offers us a way of life that promises eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven. The teachings of Christ Jesus were simple but unique and innovative at the time of His life on earth. He began teaching about 30 AD in the time of the ruthless Roman occupation of Palestine. The four groups in the Jewish religion, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes and the Zealots, presented a different viewpoint to the Jewish people. The Pharisees and to some degree the Sadducees demanded strict observance of the Mosaic law as well as Jewish customs and rituals. Nazareth was in Galilee, an important center of the Zealots, a militant Jewish group who wanted freedom for their homeland. The Essenes awaited a Messiah that would establish a Kingdom on earth and free the Israelites from oppression. The Ten Commandments, given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, relates a series of "Thou shalt nots," evils one must avoid in daily life on earth. In contrast, the message of Jesus was one of HUMILITY, CHARITY, and BROTHERLY love. He taught transformation of the inner person. Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive sense, virtues in life which will ultimately lead to reward. Love becomes the motivation for the Christian. All of the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they promise us salvation - not in this world, but in the next. The Beatitudes initiate one of the main themes of Matthew's Gospel, that the Kingdom so long awaited in the Old Testament is not of this world, but of the next, the Kingdom of Heaven. One of the first contemplations on the Beatitudes came from St. Gregory of Nyssa, a mystic who lived in Cappadocia in Asia Minor around 380 AD. He described the Beatitudes this way: "Beatitude is a possession of all things held to be good, from which nothing is absent that a good desire may want. Perhaps the meaning of beatitude may become clearer to us if it is compared with its opposite. Now the opposite of beatitude is misery. Misery means being afflicted unwillingly with painful sufferings." St. Augustine called the Beatitudes the ideal for every Christian life! THE EIGHT BEATITUDES OF JESUS HELP ME TO STAY FOCUSED AWAY FROM MISERY. I HAVE LEARNED TO BE HUMBLE AND SEEK HELP AND TO HELP THE NEXT PERSON SUFFERING WITH BIPOLAR. I HAVE LEARNED TO PREPARE MY PLACE IN HEAVEN RIGHTEOUSLY PULLING ON MY SPIRITUAL BELIEFS WHEN I AM GOING THROUGH HIGHS AND LOWS WITH BIPOLAR. BECAUSE I WAS ALWAYS INDEPENDENT PRIOR TO BEING DIAGNOSED WITH BIPOLAR, I HAD TO UNDERGO A TRANSFORMATION OF THE MIND AND SPIRIT IN ORDER TO ALLOW A HEALING OF PAST HURTS AND PAINS THAT CAUSED ME TO BE VERY ANGRY INTERNALLY, SPIRITUALLY. ONCE I LET THOSE THINGS GO THROUGH MEDICATION AND THERAPY AND UNDERSTANDING THE WORD THROUGH BIBLE STUDY, MY SPIRITUAL STRENGTH INCREASED AND LED TO MY MENTAL STABILITY. MY SPIRITUALITY IS A LARGE PART OF MY WELLNESS PLAN, IF NOT IT IS MY WHOLE WELLNESS PLAN. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10 If you or a family memer have an untreated mental illness, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness for available resources to help you improve your quality of life. In order to achieve a transformation of the miserable mind, an individual with a mental illness must transform their mind to go from misery to wellness. Family members must transform their minds from trying to hide and protect the mentall ill family member, to reaching out for professional intervening help. Visit: www.nami.org today!Agnes ~ Too Wise Not To Praise Him! Author of "Cooling Well Water: A Collection of Work By An African-American Bipolar Woman" ISBN 0975461206 Winter Release Pending - www.myspace.com/coolingwellwater If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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agnes levine
Part-Time Teacher, Baltimore County Public Schools Member Since August 2008 |
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