“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” – Ephesians 1:3

I have found in my faith journey that one of the key differences between being a follower of Christ and a non-follower is the way we view the world.  I have found that there is a secular worldview and a Christian worldview.  Having a secular world view, for me, means that all my attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs are built around a standard that I set.  They are all “me” based.  

To have a Christian world view is to have attitudes and beliefs built around the teachings of Jesus.  We may think they are the same, but in my case, many of them are radically different.  One of my biggest hurdles was changing the way I think about blessings.  

My old world view says that I know I am blessed because I have a good job, a nice house, and can provide for my family’s needs (and most of their wants.)  I am “blessed” because of material things.  

However, if you look at the true blessed people of the Bible, it was rarely about money.  In fact, if you go back to the Beatitudes (Matthew 5) Jesus stated that God’s blessings were poured out in numerous way that had nothing to do with money.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

It isn’t easy to see mourning and hunger and persecution as catalysts for blessings in our lives is it? But Jesus says that is exactly where we see God. Blessedness, for me, is living in the daily presence of God. It is knowing that He is with me, regardless of what is going on in my life. Blessedness is understanding the eternal reign of God and my place in His kingdom. It is not placing my peace of mind on the fleeting comforts of this world that can so easily be wiped out in an instant.

It is a hard thing to grasp the spiritual blessings that surround us. We can’t see or touch them. But when I experience the love of brothers and sisters in Christ, when I feel the joy of being in His will, when I have peace in the midst of turmoil – That is when I know I am truly blessed.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ fall afresh on you my friends. And may the spiritual blessings of peace, love, joy, comfort, and fulfillment abound within you. Amen