What Does "Blessed" Mean?

Could it be, here in America, that we have a very different definition of 'blessed' than what the Bible teaches as 'blessing'?  How can we measure and discern what blessing is, whether in our lives, or in others?  Is there a standard that we can apply, so that we can judge the matter rightly and determine what is 'blessed'?

We grow up in the western world being taught and reinforced through our culture, that certain characteristics define 'blessing'; and oddly enough, there is a history, a Biblical history that speaks some very similar characteristics.  Health, wealth, family, liberty, opportunity, good behavior, no troubles, the look that society likes, to fit in, applause and kudos from those around us, smooth sailing, or at least the appearance of all of these things in our lives, and I'm sure many others.  You get the idea...

Yet, the Bible, by which we should measure every aspect of life, seems to indicate that many of these things 'could' be a part of the Lord's blessing, but not in and of themselves.

I would submit to you dear readers, that true blessing is measured by the fruit of our lives, by the fruit of our relationships, by the distance in obedience that we travel with Him, the degree of sacrifice that we bear, by the unseen motives of our hearts toward Him and each other.  I would submit that the measure that we have embraced in the western world for 'spiritual blessing' would have been rejected by Paul and the other early Apostles.  If that is the case, I would submit that we are missing something.

We have become adept at wrapping 'religious' language around our efforts, at our meetings, and within our interaction with each other; but when it comes to loving each other no matter what that cost may be, we simply fall short.  We need an extreme makeover in our souls!  When it comes to going to each other directly when we offend each other and getting it right, we simply fall short.  For some reason we simply don't have the courage to make things right with each other.

We have significant flaws in our theology when we think that we can shake the dust off of our feet and walk away when someone doesn't do something or say something the way we would have.  We have missed the point if we favor those who we perceive to have great resources, of the potential to have great resources while we shun the brother or sister of low degree (James 1:9).

I just listened to a minister emphatically state that 'we are to be one in the Body of Christ in this day and age so we can see the glory of God'.  Yet, I have firsthand knowledge that this brother, an older minister, doesn't live that message.  I could point to myself and say the same things, so I'm not throwing rocks, I'm simply calling what is, IS!

I heard this brother claim that God wanted to wash all the hostility and offense away from the Body of Christ, yet when given the opportunity to prove that he could actually do it, not just preach about it, he did just the opposite.

How can we claim that we've seen the 'Glory of God', while we travel the globe when we treat each other the way we do?  Do we not realize that Paul and the early church spoke of deep, selfless relationship with each other, they took care of each other, they sacrificed their own for each other, they proved their love for one another and walked in the unity of the Spirit for real; not just preaching and teaching it, they lived it.

I have purposed in my heart, to go back to those who offended me over the years; who treated me disdainfully (I'm talking about those in the church, not the world),  because we are under divine mandate to do so, and I'm going to take another run at seeking forgiveness and healing with those relationships.  When they had the chance to come to me and be 'Biblical', they failed.  So this time I'm going to go to them and claim that I have an offense against them and I'm going to demand an audience in an effort once and for all resolve all of those outstanding divisive experiences that we have between us. 

You see folks, God doesn't give His blessing just because we call His name.  We have a covenant which means we have a part to play in all this.  Many of those I will go to don't believe that I have God's blessing, but they are very wrong on that one.  His blessing is what gives me the courage and the compassion to keep trying to make things right with my brothers and seek a path toward living what the Gospel is all about.


How 'bout you?  MM