** This is part 6 of my series on Christian cliches. They’re meant for good but end up doing more harm in the long run**
The word for blessed is a great word, ( Μακάριος or makarios) it means more than just happiness. It carries with it an idea of happiness, but also something much more. It means “Great news! God’s best is in store for you!” You have God’s blessing, His approval, His love. You are blessed. This is something more than the “happiness” that we talked about last week.
So who is blessed? If you asked someone if they are blessed they might say, “God has blessed me with:
- a new house
- a car
- a new job!
- I got a raise! I’m blessed!
- I’m blessed with good health!
These can certainly be blessings from God, this isn’t exactly what God means when he says He wants to bless us. If you read the Sermon on the Mount you will see that it begins with a series of “Blessed-s”. Who does God called Blessed in this?
- Blessed are the poor in spirit
- Blessed are those who mourn
- Blessed are the meek
- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
- Blessed are the merciful
- Blessed are the pure in heart
- Blessed are the peacemakers
- Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness…
No one would look at the people on that list and say these people were “blessed,” who were “more than happy” but Jesus says that everyone of them are to consider themselves blessed. Why? Because He was opening the door for them to come into His Kingdom. People that are often mocked for being meek, poor, pure, persecuted because they want to do what is right, He was receiving them. The thing that made them most despised by others will be what brings their blessing!
Each point of blessing comes with responsibility. Maybe God has blessed you with a raise at work, and he is asking you not to use it on yourself but to support something He is doing. Maybe He blesses you with a mostly-conflict-free family life and He wants you to invite others in who aren’t so lucky. Maybe He blesses us with a big house and we have the opportunity to use it to invite others in to building deeper relationships. God blesses us so that we can fulfill His mission in this world…We get to enjoy what He has given us, but it also comes with responsibility.
Many other things can also be a blessing. Maybe you lose a job, and discover that you have been neglecting your family in order to get ahead in your previous occupation or you lose your job and discover the career you never imagined you could have. Maybe a sickness brings some clarity to your life. You know that person that is always go and then they become sick and can’t get out of bed for a couple of days. They get that much needed rest, they get to spend some time alone. When these things happen a lot of the junk that is floating around in your life suddenly becomes NOT important and you can see the things that matter, it brings some clarity.
In the end what we call a blessing may actually be a curse and many of the things that we complain about as hardships may be a blessing. Does God want you to be blessed? Yes, but He wants to define it.
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