When Jesus spoke the "blessed are . . ." Beatitudes, He didn't say they were a formula for happiness or the keys to the kingdom. Instead, they were a declaration from God about us as His followers in spite of our weaknesses and failures. The Christian life is not a series of mountaintop, blissful, nothing-ever-goes-wrong moments but a series of ups and does the Holy Spirit uses to shape us into Christ.

In Becoming Like Jesus, bestselling author and pastor Matt Chandler will guide you through one of the more famous passages of Scripture—Jesus' Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1–12). While you may read these "blessed are . . ." statements and think, Once I get it all together, then I'll feel blessed—that's not actually what Jesus said. When introducing the Beatitudes, Jesus didn't describe eight different kinds of people but eight qualities of the same person.

These Beatitudes are not what make you a Christian. But if you are a Christian, over time Jesus is going to turn you more and more into this kind of person that reflects God's kingdom. You can't just decide to be poor in spirit. You can't just determine that you'll be meek or disciplined enough to be pure in heart. No, as you seek a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the Gospels, He will develop in you a new way of living that helps you:

understand how desperately you need God,
mourn not only your sins but the state of the world,
humbly serve the Lord instead of build your own kingdom,
hunger and thirst for right relationships with God and others,
show mercy because of how merciful Jesus has been to you,
seek purity by living with integrity and being transparent,
share the peace and good news of Jesus wherever you go, and
remember your heavenly reward when enduring persecution on earth.
Wherever you are in your journey, whatever your stage in life, and regardless of whether the Beatitudes are challenging right now, you can be sure God is shaping you into someone who looks like Jesus. Don't be discouraged, because every high and low, every victory and loss, is being used by God to move you forward.