Blessed are the poor in spirit

This blog was originally posted by Diego Gomes to his blog. You can view the original article here. This is part of an ongoing devotional series based on the Beatitudes.

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“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:3

The first step into Kingdom life is to recognize our spiritual poverty. In material terms, a person is considered poor when they realize they lack resources and cannot meet their own needs. Likewise, we must understand that spiritually—without Jesus—we had nothing and were dead in our sins and trespasses.

Spiritual poverty has nothing to do with finances but with the awareness of who we were before Christ. To acknowledge that you are poor in spirit is not self-deprecation—it’s seeing yourself rightly through the lens of God’s grace:

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32.

The raw truth is that without Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, all of humanity would stand condemned under divine wrath. In the cup of suffering, Jesus took our place. And because of Him, we now have access not only to eternity with God but also to a redeemed life here and now:

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:5-6.

For all who believe in Jesus, the cross is not just a lifestyle—it is the only way to live in the Kingdom of God. We were saved by grace through faith, and we are called to live as disciples of Christ, crucifying our old nature with Him:

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

Recognizing our poverty in spirit opens the way for a continual process of inner emptying: the more we surrender our own will, the more we experience God’s; the more we let go of our lives, the more we embrace the life He designed for us:“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.’” Matthew 16:24-25.

As we empty ourselves of our human nature, we are filled with the divine nature through the Spirit:“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”Matthew 9:16-17.

Acknowledging our spiritual poverty awakens us to daily dependence on the Holy Spirit—for without Him, we cannot live in a way that pleases God or walk in holiness:“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16.

Those who recognize their poverty in spirit must pursue a deep and constant communion with the Holy Spirit, cultivated through both personal and communal spiritual discipline:“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-20

A good translation for “poor in spirit” could be humble. And there is no other fitting response to our spiritual “nakedness” before the cross than humility. Though often misunderstood in Church history, humility is an essential Christian virtue.

To be humble is to recognize our own limitations.

This awareness leads to a modest and simple life, free from the weight of disordered desires—like the pursuit of wealth, fame, or success. True humility is revealed when we stop living for ourselves and begin to serve others:“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”Philippians 2:3-7.

According to Paul, humility is the denial of self and the surrender of ego in service to others—but it is not the erasure of identity. Humility is often confused with low self-esteem, but that is not the biblical view.

Jesus knew exactly who He was. Yet “…being in very nature God…” He chose the path of surrender, obedience, and service. Only those who have a healthy sense of self-worth and know how deeply they are loved and valued by God can walk in poverty of spirit without falling into emotional bondage.

As Rick Warren once said:

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.”

Today’s Prayer:Lord, I want to be humble as You are. Teach me to have a broken and contrite heart and shape me according to Your character. I surrender my will and control—let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.