Wanna be blessed? 😇
So many of our prayers are about being "blessed."
Rightfully so... because 1st Timothy 6:15 literally calls God "The Blessed and only almighty God." As we should be imitators of God, we should seek to be as He is - blessed in every way. However perhaps what we mean with this prayer is material blessing, freedom from hardship/sorrow, and a comfortable life. By that standard, Jesus wasn't blessed. Jesus had nothing... he was hated/despised... and his life was the opposite of whatever we would call "comfort."
So what does it mean to be "blessed"? As a starting point, I love Jesus' words on this from Matthew 5:1-12. Read it at some point today. In the meantime, here are a few thoughts on tangible ways to be BLESSED today.
1. Pray for God to give you neither poverty nor riches. This is an uncomfortable prayer written by one of the wealthiest people in human history - King Solomon. The man who had everything once prayed "give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God" (Proverbs 30:8-9). Material possessions and wealth are a gift from God to be enjoyed. At the same time, the Scriptures speak extensively about the dangers of chasing them and thinking we can find satisfaction in them. Instead of praying you win the lottery or something (if you do... be sure to tithe on it!)... pray God teaches you to live in the middle. Not poor, not rich. The middle is where we stay dependent on Him.
2. Pray for God to help you feel satisfied TODAY. Psalm 23:1 says "The Lord is my shepherd; I SHALL NOT WANT." A defining trait of a mature/blessed believer is satisfaction with where God has us today. 1st Timothy 6:6 says "Godliness with contentment is great gain." How can you practice satisfaction in Christ today?
3. Pray for God to give you a vision for TOMORROW. I love the biblical prayer to "expand our territory" (in the words of 1st Chronicles 4:10). My experience is that this is steady and slow. There should be a satisfaction in the Lord and a holy dissatisfaction with our current status quo in life. The nature of the Kingdom of God is that it's expanding. Our lives should be as well. This might look like a problem you keep chipping away at. It might look like an investment goal. It might be furthering your education or saving for your kids' college. The point is: blessed people are always seeking to expand. We shouldn't ever "coast along" or feel we have arrived. Heaven is the destination - there is Kingdom territory to pursue in this life.
I am writing this post mostly to myself and as a reminder to our church right now. The first quarter of 2024 has been a record setter in every way. I believe and am praying that we are on the precipice of a great season of continued forward movement for the Gospel. At the same time, we don't put our hope in numbers going up and to the right. We put our hope in the Lord and in His promise to build His Church!
BE BLESSED!
Pastor Kyle