Blessed

What does it mean to be blessed?

To many, being blessed carries the idea of good fortune, contentment, and/or pleasure. Interestingly, the Greek word translated ‘blessed’ in the New Testament is makarios, and one of its primary meanings is “happy.” One of my favorite passages about this comes from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount when He gave what we know as the Beatitudes. [Matthew 5:1-12]

In the Beatitudes, we learn that happiness comes from being “poor in spirit,” “mourning,” being “meek,” “hungering” after righteousness, being “merciful,” having a “pure heart,” being a “peacemaker,” and being “persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” That’s hardly what we had in mind when we prayed, “God bless Mommy, Daddy, and Pastor Rick!” What the Beatitudes clearly teach is that one cannot be blessed/happy by living a self-centered life.

Of course, the ultimate blessing is to have a genuine relationship with the almighty God through Jesus Christ, His Son. As Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? [Matthew 16:24-26]