3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer . Ephesians 1:3 GWT
New to pop culture is a song with a catchy hook that says, ‘I’m way up, I feel blessed’. While this song is getting major radio play, I must say being blessed is much more than a feeling. The word “blessed” is a wonderful word. Christians use the words “blessed” and “blessing” a lot, and most of the time we mean it. There are times when we use it as an expression to end a conversation that is going too long. We will say something to the effect of, “Well, that’s great. Wow. Hey, praise the Lord and God bless you.” This can be translated, “Please stop talking now.” While that is funny, that, of course, is not the proper way to use it.
“Blessed” is a Christian word. It is a spiritual word. It is a biblical word. And it has been hijacked by our culture. People may talk about “blessings” in their lives, but the nonbeliever has no idea what a real blessing is, because only the child of God truly knows what it is to be blessed. It is also worth noting that Jesus both began and concluded His earthly ministry blessing people.
So what does it mean to be blessed? The word “blessed” Jesus used in the Sermon on the Mount is from the Greek word makarios, which means to be happy or blissful, but it also means a self-contained happiness. The Greeks called the Island of Cypress “the happy isle.” They believed that because of its geographical location, perfect climate, and fertile soil that anyone who lived on Cypress had it made in the shade. And the term they associated with the island was makarios. They believed everything you needed to be happy was right there on Cypress.
While there is a TWC-Cypress in our future, we can’t all move to Cypress, and to be honest, I doubt if Cypress, TX was the city the Greeks were in search of. This brings out a great point though, your genuine happiness isn’t attached to a location, or a situation, it actually should be independent of your circumstances. It is self-contained, meaning that regardless of what is happening to us externally, we can be truly happy internally. We can be genuinely blessed as followers of Jesus Christ.
Regardless of your ethnicity, your financial state, if you are married or single, it is safe to say everyone is searching for happiness. Many people search for happiness through food; others use drugs for escape; some turn to sex; some seek happiness through fame or wealth; others even seek it in prominent positions in politics and other organizations, but that’s not the true happiness Jesus spoke of.
If you want happiness, true happiness, the kind that is a blessing from God, it comes from God and God alone! When you walk with God, it shows. God’s happiness, which He gives is not a temporary feeling but a deep satisfying happiness, that is God’s blessing! Being ‘blessed’ is having a deep satisfaction in God’s favor and His salvation, no matter what your circumstances are.
Today, regardless of what you see or don’t see, have or don’t have, remember it’s what’s in you that counts! Search your memory bank and recall the amazing things God has done for you and begin to look through your ‘blessed’ eyes and receive that blissful happiness that comes from having a relationship with God!
Pastor J
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