How Can I Be Blessed by God?

Written by Mark Wickersham, ECS Director of Spiritual Formation

Everyone wants to be blessed by God. The fact is, we ARE blessed by God. If you’re reading this blog, God has likely provided you with an education that many don’t have access to, a nice shingled, tiled, or tin roof over your head, and nutritious and delicious meals day after day. Perhaps you’re like me and selfishly want more. You dream of driving something that looks cooler than your sweet minivan. You wish your vacations were just a little longer. You want others to feed you clusters of Kyoho grapes and hand you a goblet of Mountain Dew. Okay, maybe that last desire is a little weird. The point is, we are super blessed, yet we often aren’t content.

The Old Testament mentions many earthly blessings that were much bigger than our rides and R&R. You can read that the blessed will see their families grow (Genesis 17:20), inherit land (Psalm 37:22), and receive deliverance from their enemies (Psalm 41:1). You don’t read nearly as many earthly blessings in the New Testament. Jesus actually promises we will suffer in John 16:33. Although suffering is not something we desire, great growth and glory to God can come from it. And when Christ returns, Christians will live on a new earth free from death, mourning, crying, and pain (Revelation 21:4). That’s the definition of AWESOME! Do you believe that?

As we wait for Christ’s return, to be truly blessed is to enter God’s kingdom and live life seeking God’s heart. We are to pursue God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), not storing up treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19). Tragically, so many churches are skipping this part of the Bible. Being blessed means following Christ (Matthew 4:19) and His commands (John 14:15), not what the culture dictates. Do you want to be blessed? Check out the Beatitudes, moral teachings found in Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-26. Jesus challenges us to embrace truth and His love, a lifestyle not of this world.  

This year at Evansville Christian School, I’m excited to announce that our chapel theme will be the Beatitudes. This will help our students and us see our deepest needs and calling in Christ. In a world filled with hate, chaos, and confusion, we will learn how to have peace and show true shalom. Studying the Beatitudes lines up nicely with last year’s chapel theme, the Book of James, which focuses on how genuine faith in Christ will produce Christlike actions. James and the Beatitudes complement each other, and both parts of the New Testament teach us how to live lives pleasing to God. 

It’s important to know that the Beatitudes derive from the Latin word beatus, meaning blessed or happy. There are eight declarations (some might say seven, eight, or ten) of blessedness spoken by Jesus at the start of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). In the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6, Jesus states four beatitudes followed by four woes (declarations of grief or trouble). In Matthew, Jesus tells us that the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake are blessed. This is radically different from the me-centered consumerist culture we live in.

I hope you are looking forward to our chapel series and will worship with us if possible. Regardless of whether you can come, ask your children what they are learning at chapels. Study the Beatitudes with them. Pray that you and your children would understand what Jesus is saying and put His words into practice. There is much that all of us can learn from examining the Beatitudes this year and beyond. To God be the glory! 

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven…Matthew 5:12a