The Blessed Life

 

For by faith we are walking, not by perception.

Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5: 7, Concordant New Testament 

I've always been intrigued by the term blessed life.  What does it even mean to live a blessed life?  During my years in the mainstream church, many people I knew threw around this term when things were going well for them.  I came to associate living a blessed life with things going well in my own life.  But, as we all know, life isn't always easy for believers.  There will certainly be those times when we do not feel so blessed.  Are we still living that blessed life?  Despite what others might think, I would say that what we see as blessing is simply the Fathers love and grace.  For it is indeed through the Fathers love that we were created in the Lords own likeness {Genesis 1:27}.  We have also been provided with Fathers love and grace which saved us {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8-9}.  Just because life doesn't work out the way we wanted it to does not mean that God is somehow upset with us or is no longer blessing us.  That in itself is speaking the lie which the deceiver spoke in the garden.  It is Satan who convinced Eve to take of the fruit which God had commanded not to.  It is also Satan who spoke the lie that eating of the forbidden fruit would allow them to "Be like God" {Genesis 3:3-5}.  Unknown to Adam and Eve in that moment was the fact that, having been created in the Father's likeness, that they already were like God.  But what does this all have to do with the blessed life?  The apostle Paul speaks to the reality of our life when he speaks of living our lives by faith and not by sight {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:7}.  Paul knew that our life is not lived by our own understanding, but by our trust and faith in the Father.  Even when our so called blessed life goes haywire, we trust that the Father has our best interests at heart.  Now, this might indeed shine a brand new light on our own perception of that which we have come to see as blessing as well.  Are we blessed, or is God simply expressing His love and grace for His children?  

"It is not My garment which healed you, it is your faith."

Jesus in The Chosen

The unclean woman wanted to be healed.  She had the idea that if she were only to touch the garment of Jesus that she would be.  Did the Lord bless her with healing?  No, in her heart she believed that were she to touch the Lords clothing that she would be healed.  She trusted that Jesus would heal her.  He did not simply bless her because that was what He was supposed to do.  She was healed because she believed she would be.  Was this woman living a blessed life?  I believe that were she sitting in the mainstream church that she might feel as if God was angry or upset with her due to her circumstances.  Yet nothing could be further from the truth.  Blessings in life are not a guarantee.  However, what we can depend on is the love and grace of our heavenly Father {Paul to the Romans 5:8}.  We are not blessed, but loved and cherished by God as His children.  Our own knowing of the Father can help us when life is not so easy as well.  When we understand that we do not live in separation, but in union with Him, the difficult times we face take on a whole new meaning.  How wonderful it feels to know that God is not angry or wanting to punish us!  I like to think of the example of the life lived by Christ Jesus whenever tough times come in my own life.  Was Jesus' life filled with all positive moments?  Was Jesus living that blessed life?  No, Jesus had issues in His own life just as we do.  He was disliked, frustrated and talked down to.  Too many believers live this life and insist on calling it blessed.  We are assured that Christ struggled in His life as we often do {To the Hebrews 4:16}.  I would suggest that we do not live a blessed life, but a union life.  

~Scott~