#Blessed

We see it in social media hashtags and on T-shirts, but what does it mean to be #blessed? By definition, bless is a verb. It’s an action someone takes to give something to someone else. I could just brag about my awesome family, my best friends, or my new shoes, but saying I’m “blessed” means someone, somehow, has given me these things. So what do I expect to be true if I’m “blessed” by God? He has all the power in the universe and is the true Owner of it all. As His child in Christ, I’m cared for by Him. Does that mean I’ll have wealth? Health? Loads of amazing friends? Success in my grades and test scores? Early acceptance to my dream school? Not necessarily. In Ephesians 1, Paul tells us we’ve been “blessed,” but that this blessing is a “spiritual” one (verse 3). Our heavenly Father has made it possible for us to be united with Him by faith in Jesus’ work on the cross (verse 7). He’s promised that—no matter what we face in life and no matter what happens in this world—a time will come when “he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ” (verse 10). In the meantime, He’s blessed us with the Holy Spirit (His very own presence living inside of us), sealing the promise that death is not the end—that God’s people will be resurrected just like Jesus was and will live forever with Him (verses 13-14). Because I’m surrounded by ads promising me all the American-dream #goals, it’s hard to see that what I already have in Jesus surpasses it all. My desire for Jesus to “bless” me with things only causes me to miss out on the best thing: Himself. • Mandy Desilets • Reread Ephesians 1:3-14. What are some of the blessings and promises found in Christ? • In Christ, we have a true family and community—the church—centered around Jesus, our true King. How can knowing we have this forever community give us hope when we feel anything but blessed? 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 (NLT)

Read Verses:

Ephesians 1:3-14