Having the desires of your heart, a better house, a newer car, children who are following God, health, money, and worldly success, are these the blessings Jesus tells us we will receive? Have you explored Christ’s definition of blessings according to his words? Let’s look at what Jesus tells us in his first official Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus Said, You Are Blessed . . .
“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.” (Matt. 5:3-12, MSG)
Blessings Come from God Focus
Jesus teaches us that our heart and perspective must always focus on God and love others as Christ loves us. He also instructs us to be grateful, compassionate, self-aware in balance, peace-seeking, and willing to love others and serve Jesus regardless of how we are treated or what happens to our body. When we follow Christ’s instructions and example from this sermon, we will live in his truth, hope, love, grace, and blessings.
Being a follower of Christ means we will have difficult and maybe deadly times because of our belief and loyalty to him. However, our life on Earth is not forever. Jesus came and lived among us, died for our sins, and walked out of that grave to show us His promises are true if we follow him. According to Christ’s example, on this broken earth in our imperfect human condition, we can do what is right in God’s eyes and be blessed.
The Easy Way
We all want the easiest and fastest way to a desire or result in our human condition and with the devil’s worldly influence. Take this pill to lose ten pounds overnight. Take this drug to control __________, then you can still do what is making you sick. Relax and chill out by drinking or taking drugs, and you will find peace. All of these temporary fixes come with many side effects or lifetime effects that we may not consider.
As believers, we may also be deceived by others’ misinformation or by assuming that we can ask God to fix our unhealthy or immoral choices and He will because he loves us. The truth to this mindset is that we act like we are god and expect our Father and Creator, God, to serve our commands like a servant genie. We think we can do what we want, even if it goes against Christ’s heart, character, and morals, and then we ask God to fix our consequences. Thinking, believing, and treating God and Jesus as servants dishonors their loving grace poured out to us when God made a plan for us to be saved, including his only Son, Jesus, choosing to be crucified and die for our sins. Our Salvation was anything BUT easy!
Following Jesus is a Difficult Road
When a believer asks Jesus to be their LORD and Savior and pledges to follow him and his ways, that’s precisely what we are to do. Jesus was the image of integrity, doing what you say you will do. If we are to work with Jesus and be transformed into His image as we follow him, how can we disrespect him by treating him as our servant? Jesus was truthful about the difficulties of following him when he told us.
- I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Matthew 7:13-14, NLT
- I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33, NLT
Our blessings come on this earth in the spiritual and sometimes physical realm. However or whenever God chooses to bless us is up to Him. If you believe in God and follow Jesus for what you get from them, then you don’t understand their unconditional love, grace, mercy, or Salvation.
There is no greater blessing than to have your soul saved, to have the help, guidance, and correction of the Holy Spirit to keep you on God’s path, and to have a perfect heavenly home you will step into when your body dies on earth! In and through Jesus Christ, you are truly BLESSED!
