The Blessing of Being Blessed

 

“So, how’s work going? Pandemic anemic?” he asked scanning me from head to shoes.

“Definitely feeling blessed. Last year was the best year yet. And it looks like this year will be just as busy.” The words rolled off my tongue without a second thought. Like "how-do-you-do? I’m-fine-thank-you” or placing my usual order at Taco Bell: “A-seven-layer-burrito-please-no-sour-cream”... 

I’ve noticed a trend among Christians, myself included, and it troubles me. Our rote response to material windfalls is to call ourselves blessed. Like the “amen” at the end of a prayer.

- “This new car is such a blessing.”

- “The dress is expensive but I 've got a 50% discount, what a blessing”.

- “Finally closed on the house. Feeling blessed.”

- “Just got back from a mission trip, realizing how blessed we are here in this country.”

On the surface, the phrase seems harmless. Faithful even. Why wouldn’t I want to give God the glory for everything I have? Isn’t that the right thing to do? As I reflected on my “feeling blessed” comment, two thoughts came to mind.

First, when I say that my material fortune is the result of God’s blessing, it reduces The Almighty to some sort of wish-granting fairy who spends his days bestowing cars, mall sales and cash upon His followers. I can’t help but draw parallels to how I handed out sweets to my own kid when she followed my directions and chose to use the toilet rather than waste another diaper. But God is not a behavioral psychologist.

Second, calling myself blessed only because I still busy is just plain wrong. For starters, it can be offensive to the hundreds of millions of Christians in the world who live on less than $1 “blessing” per day. 

Nowhere in Scripture are we promised worldly ease in return for our pledge of faith. In fact, some of the most devout saints from the Bible died penniless, receiving a one-way ticket to prison or death. They are exceptions like Abraham, Job (oh, after such a trial) or David (hmm, good to be a king), but the rest of the heroes of faith are on the other end of the equation.

If we’re looking for the definition of blessing, Jesus spells it out clearly in Matthew 5: Blessed are the poor in spirit… blessed are those who mourn… who hunger and thirst after righteousness, etc. 

My blessing is this. I know a God who gives hope to the hopeless. I know a God who loves the unlovable. I know a God who comforts the sorrowful. And I know a God who sent His only Son to die for a sinner like me. THIS is the blessing, And for this blessing, may our response always be, “Lord, use me.”