When God calls a man, he calls him to come lose himself, and so it is no wonder that the most eager of those called tend to already know what it is like to lose. The Beatitudes help us see the upside-down ethos of the kingdom of God. To preach the good news of his kingdom and build legacies of faith, Jesus is looking primarily for losers.

The best way to live. Everybody eventually surrenders to something or someone. If not to God, you will surrender to the opinions or expectations of others, to money, to resentment, to fear, or to your own pride, lusts, or ego.

The Christian’s calling, in part, is to proclaim God’s dominion in every corner of the world—in every corner of our hearts, too. It isn’t that we’re fighting a battle in which we must win ground from the forces of evil; the ground is already won. Satan is just an outlaw. And we have the pleasure of declaring God’s Kingdom with love, service, and