What is a blessing?

Luke 5:1-12

What is a blessing? Jesus gave us the Beatitudes to help give us a clear picture. Sometimes I still wonder what the core point was of that portion of His sermon on the mount. It is the opening statement in order to catch the attention of those attending. Jesus is describing parts of life and the choices we make that are either spiritual or tangible. He is describing actions and emotions that we encounter as we make daily decisions. Jesus describes a way of living that is upside down to what the world standard is. It is completely opposite to the American dream mentality and pushes the envelope when He shares, “rejoice and be glad” after you have been persecuted for His name. 

Have you ever taken time to reflect if you have actually been persecuted? Have you meditated if you even measure up to the list of blessings Jesus describes? Sometimes the term “I am blessed” or similar phrases get thrown around a lot in Christian circles, but do we really know what the blessing really is? It is easy to see a tangible blessing that makes us live comfortably, or the amazing miracle of growing your family in child birth. Maybe the act of service and sacrifice for others are the blessings you hold onto. But I am still wondering how all this stuff we believe to be a blessing looks like to our Father and his Son Jesus. 

The Holy Spirit moves inside of our heart and mind telling us, yes indeed that was a good thing to do. The Spirit is there to determine and decipher what the Lord desires for us. It even lets us know that our motive behind a blessing is either pure or not. This is another grey area of defining what a blessing is. 

I am asking the question because I believe there is an answer. The four gospel letters include numerous accounts of when Jesus tells us the truth. The truth is Jesus is the son of God and gave Himself as a sacrifice to pay for our sin. Jesus is now seated with His Father preparing a place for us, who know and believe this to be true, in His kingdom. I think that truth is the core to what a blessing is. Knowing and believing absolute truth is the best blessing we could ever have in our life and helps us be confident in salvation. Absolute truth from God is powerful, sharing that truth with others is important. The absolute truth Jesus fills us up with helps us fight against the world. Believing in absolute truth helps guide our thoughts and actions through the Holy Spirit. If you meditate on how truth through Jesus has changed your life, then discovering what blessings are actual blessings might become clearer. 

-T