“But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.. – Galatians 3:13-14.
Do you ever feel God blesses everyone but you? You pray for the job promotion but it’s given to a co-worker. Your dream school sends you a letter politely telling you to go away. It feels as if your dreams are on the verge of being fulfilled, but are instantly yanked away, sending your emotions on a wild rollercoaster ride. You have a friend who has a job they love, great friends, people who inspire them, a variety of Ivy schools are fighting over them. You run into them and all they can say is that “my life has been going startlingly well. I feel very blessed right now.”
We’ve all heard someone say, “I’ve been blessed by God,” usually in relation to success, health, family, wealth, or a job. We’ve also heard athletes say they are blessed after winning a big game. We all want to be under God’s blessing.
People often think that people are blessed when they have a nice home, a good job, enough money to be comfortable. Conversely, if you have had a life full of trials and struggling, it makes you feel like you are cursed. How we view blessings in this life is determined by how we view God because how we view God will determine how we view life and how we live life. It will determine the decisions we make. And it will impact our giving and our generosity especially when we are looking at blessings as a quid pro quo arrangement.
That is not how it works. God is not some sky-bound, ATM that we can bargain with for blessings. If that is how we view God then we need to rethink our position. Material good fortune does mean we are blessed. Just as the millions of Christians who live in poverty all over the world are not blessed. If you have been on a mission trip to Haiti and Kenya, you know how untrue that statement is.
The truth is, I have no idea why I was born where I was or why I have the opportunity I have. But God didn’t choose me above others because of the veracity of my prayers or the depth of my faith. The question is what am I doing with what He blessed me with? Will I be generous and use my blessings to help others?
My true blessings are not my house. Or my job. Or my standard of living. My true blessing is being a child of God. A God who gives hope to the hopeless. A God who loves the unlovable. A God who comforts the sorrowful. A God that died for the sins of the entire world.
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think it means to be ‘blessed’ by God? What are some of the blessings God has given you in your life?
- Do blessings and giving go hand in hand? Why or why not?
- When was a time that you experienced God blessing others through you?
- Write down a list of blessings that God has given to you: material, economic, relational, spiritual, etc. Thank God for these blessings. Consider one way that you could bless someone else this week, whether here or around the world