I think that the word “blessed” is not always used correctly in our culture. You hear people say how blessed they are when they get a new car, when their Christmas tree is surrounded by perfectly packaged gifts, or when they just got a promotion. Don’t get me wrong, those are all good things! They are blessings from the Lord, but is that it? Is a blessing just something that comes in a box or has a price tag? I think that if we take a look into Scripture, we will see that a blessing is so much more.
Before I dive into that, however, I would like to remind us that we deserve hell. I know that sounds so harsh, but it is reality. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We are sinners and we do not deserve anything but punishment. We live in a culture that seems to have a sense of entitlement to it. Many people in America walk around like they deserve to be blessed. I would like us all to remember that God is God, and we are sinners. He did not have to save you. He does not bless you because He owes it to you. We deserve nothing, but because of God’s vast love, He offers us everything we could ever need. So, before we start talking about blessings, let’s remember that anything short of hell is God extending grace to us.
So, what makes a person “blessed”? With what the Bible says about blessings, it is impossible for me to believe that a blessing is simply a luxury we get every once in a while. Psalm 32:1-2 seems to give us a clear picture of what a blessed person really is. “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.” People seem to have their own interpretations of these verses in their minds. People read “blessed is the one whose sins are cover”, but people live like the Bible says, “blessed is the one who has the most money”, “blessed is the one who is the most popular”, or “blessed is the one who gets the nicest Christmas gift”. I feel we forget the real blessing in the midst of all the stuff. The Scripture does not say, “blessed is the one with all the earthly possessions they could ever want”. No, if we read it, we see that it says something so much more meaningful and eternal. It says “blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven”. God knows the one blessing that we really need. He knows that money, popularity, jobs, and everything else will fade away. So, God sent a Savior to die for our sins because there was nothing else on this earth that humanity needed more. And those who put their faith and trust in Him are the ones who are truly blessed.
So, it is possible for a person to have all the earthly possessions he could ever dream of, but he is really not blessed. What’s the point of having a ton of money and luxuries for just a short time on earth, if you’re going to spend all of eternity in hell? Being blessed is not determined by how much stuff you have. So, is it possible for you to have nothing according to the world’s standard and still be considered blessed in God’s sight? I believe so. I once met a man named Edwin in the scariest, most run down, nasty, motels you have ever seen. This motel did not need revisions, it needed a wrecking ball. I was delivering a box of food to Edwin and his wife, who lived in this motel. Edwin had two stage 4 cancers and only had a few more months to live. He could barely afford to live in that disgusting motel. We gave them a box of canned foods, because they had no money to buy any food. By the world’s standard, Edwin was the farthest thing from blessed. Yet, if you would have heard him talk about the Lord, and see the way his eyes lit up, as he told you how Christ had changed his life, you would know that Edwin was so blessed. I remember the sound of his voice saying “the Lord has still blessed me” as he could barely stand, because He was so sick. Yes, Edwin had no earthly possessions, but he was a follower of Christ and his sins were forgiven. Edwin was, indeed, blessed! He is in heaven now. He died on August 13th, 2012. I only got to talk to him 3 times, but he is one of my biggest heroes, because he showed me what being blessed really was. It’s not about how much you have, it’s about how much Christ has done for you.
If you are a follower of Christ, then, regardless of your circumstances, you are blessed. You are blessed with the Holy Spirit inside you. You are blessed with the hope of the reward you have before you in Heaven. Most of all, you are blessed with the fact that your sins are covered. So, this Christmas season, as you open gifts under a tree, remember that the best Gift you could ever receive died for your sins on a tree.
If you have any questions, comments, or topics you would like me to write about, send me an email at christy@tonynolan.org or, of course, you can leave a comment below. Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas!
Christy Nolan 