Thankful for the Reason I am blessed

inspired artwork by Dale Jackson
www.StratoArt.com
So often, we have read, and many (including me) have said: “I’m so blessed because I’m married to a godly man.”, or “I’m so blessed because my children love the Lord.”, or “I’m so blessed because God has provided me a wonderful job I love...” and so on.

While being a wife to a wonderfully godly man, a mother of two sons in Christ, having the joy of walking my short sojourn here with many faithful saints of Christ all over the world are sure and wonderful blessings, none of them are the reasons why I am blessed...that is, not according to God.

Why bother bringing up this point that seems like I’m making a big deal about semantics? Why is it so important to make a distinction between our blessings vs. the reasons why we are blessed? Because remembering the reasons, helps to keep our pride and judgmental attitudes in check.

My heart hurts: for those who are not married to godly husbands, rather they are married to unrepentant unbelievers, false converts or not married at all and are lonely; for those who do not have godly children, rather they have children who profess Christ with their mouths, but it is evident by the way they live, their hearts are far from the Lord, or they long for children, but are unable to have them; for those who do not have a job they love because they’re harassed and are constantly surrounded by lewd and ungodly behavior and are persecuted for their good behavior in Christ; for those who faithfully worked at a company for 20 years and was recently let go due to the economy and now they’re having a difficult time providing for their family.

No child of God is more blessed or less blessed than the other because of their earthly possessions.

We are all equally blessed because of who we are in Christ.

According to Scripture, the reasons why are blessed, are because:
  1. Our sins our forgiven and our iniquities are not counted against us (Ps 32:1-2);
  2. The righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us (2 Cor 5:21);
  3. We are poor in spirit, and ours is the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3, Is 66:2, Ps 40:16-17);
  4. We mourn and we are comforted by the LORD God Almighty (Matt 5:4, 2 Cor 7:10, Rev 2:14, James 4:9-10);
  5. We are meek, that is, we aren’t boisterously shouting our demands, our rights and our agendas, rather we submit and trust all things to our sovereign God, and we shall inherit the earth (Matt 5:5, Ps 37:10-11, Philippians 2:3-4);
  6. We hunger and thirst for righteousness and are fully satisfied by Christ alone (Matt 5:6, Ps 42:1, Is 55:1-2, John 7:37, 2 Tim 2:22, 2 Cor 3:4-6);
  7. We are merciful, knowing we have received mercy from our awesome Father God (Matt 5:7, 25:34-36, Gal 6:1-2, 10, Heb 6:10, Prov 19:17, Luke 6:35-36);
  8. We are pure in heart because of Christ, and we will see God (Matt 5:8, John 17:17, 1 Peter 1:22);
  9. We are peacemakers and are called sons and daughters of the Most High (Matt 5:9, Rom 12:17-19, Heb 12:14-15, James 3:17-18, 2 Cor 5:18-20);
  10. We are reviled and persecuted and falsely accused of all kinds of evil because of our good behavior in Christ, just as the prophets and other faithful saints before us were also treated (Matt 5:10-11, 1 Peter 2:19-20, 23, 3:13-17, 4:12-16).
We are blessed because of who God is, and loves us in spite of who we are. We are blessed because by God’s great mercy, He chose to sacrifice His one and only begotten Son, so that all who repent and trust in Jesus, are granted eternal life.

I’m thankful for all the reasons why God says I'm blessed.
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—”
~Philippians 3:8-9

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