“You are blessed because you believed.”
Are some people more blessed than others?
Most people think of material blessings first, like income, home, and enough money left over to go on vacation. We might add good health, if applicable, to our blessed list. The deeper connections with people could also be seen as a blessed life. Comparing ourselves to others based on finances, health, and relational wealth can be a natural way to measure our blessings.
But how do we measure a blessed life?
The why behind the blessing will speak to how we are blessed.
In those days, Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped into her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:39-45, NRSVUE, bold added for empahsis)
This week’s hidden treasure in the Christmas story tells us that Mary was blessed because of her faith. The NLT says, “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said” (Luke 1:45). Faith was the trigger button for Mary’s blessings to begin. (Read last week’s Hidden Treasure – Faith).
How was Mary blessed?
In English translations, Elizabeth used the word blessed three times. In Greek, the word eulogeo is used the first two times (verse 42). Eulogeo was the word used when celebrating or asking God to bless someone.
The third time (verse 45), the Greek word is makarious. Makarious was used when blessed as a result or an outcome. Makarious was the same Greek word Jesus used to open the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. He gave nine blessed statements matched to an action that would bring on a type of blessing.
Mary is makarious because of her faith. Jesus used the same word when referencing how we would be blessed due to our faith. “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (John 20:29).
Jesus’ list of Beatitudes from Matthew 5 tells us other actions that evoke blessings, like being poor in spirit, merciful, having a hunger for God, having integrity, and being a peacemaker. These characteristics of being blessed, along with faith, are actions reflecting one’s heart. The result is internal blessings poured out on us that money could never buy.
What does it mean, then, to have a blessed life?
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)
Because of Christ, we are blessed with “every spiritual blessing.” Our blessed life came at a great cost for Jesus, and as a result, we are provided with a more profound sense of happiness that can only come from God through Christ.
There are many spiritual blessings, but here are a few.
Because of Christ, we are blessed because:
- We are chosen. (Ephesians 1:4)
- We are holy and blameless. (Ephesians 1:4)
- We are adopted as His children. (Ephesians 1:5)
- We are forgiven. (Ephesians 1:7)
- We have everything we need. (2 Peter 1:3)
- We are strengthened. (Psalms 28:6-8)
- We are seen. (Genesis 16:13)
- We are deeply loved. (Isaiah 43:4)
More money, perfect health, or amazing relationships will not surpass how we are blessed with “every spiritual blessing!”
The holidays can be a difficult time for many of us. Feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, loneliness, or disappointment is common. These feelings can be especially hard when we compare ourselves to others, have experienced loss, or when we are reminded of broken relationships. We may be left feeling anything but blessed.
The challenge for us this holiday season is to shift our focus away from what we don’t have and cast our attention to what we do have in Christ. Remembering Christ, who left heaven and came to earth to give us the treasure of Himself, “because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace” (Luke 1:78-79).
We are blessed.
I pray – that “God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe in him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:17-20).
In Jesus’ name, so be it.
Meditate: Because of Christ, I am blessed.
Reflect: Have you ever thought about being blessed with every spiritual blessing? What spiritual blessings would you add to the list given in the blog? Out of the blessings listed, which one(s) do you need to remember most?
Deeper: Luke 1:39-45, Matthew 5:1-12; Ephesians 1:3-22
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(Bible References: NRSVUE – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NLT – New Living Translation)
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