The Gift of Blessing
"Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ." - Ephesians 1:3
Being blessed is receiving something you didn’t earn. Think about your paycheck. When you receive it after two weeks of work, do you ever exclaim, “Wow! This is such a blessing!”? Probably not. That paycheck is compensation for your labor, something you’ve earned.
Contrast that with the feeling of receiving an unearned gift. Has anyone ever tried to bless you by giving you something unexpectedly? A few weeks ago, my family and I were dining at a restaurant in Ooltewah. At the end of our meal, I asked for the check, and the waiter informed me, “Your meal has been taken care of.” He explained, “There’s another family here that wanted to bless you today!” It was a wonderful surprise.
Despite how wonderful that experience was, I must admit, I’m not very good at receiving blessings. While I love blessing others, receiving blessings can be challenging. When someone blesses us, our initial reaction often is to shy away from it or even refuse the blessing. Why? Because we don’t want to feel indebted to someone else. It’s as if receiving a blessing creates an internal obligation to “pay them back” in some way.
However, this mindset can hinder our ability to fully appreciate the nature of God’s blessings. When Paul writes in Ephesians 1:3 about being blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, he’s talking about gifts we can never earn. These blessings are freely given by God’s grace. They include our salvation, redemption, forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life. We can’t work for these blessings; they are given out of God’s love and grace.
Learning to receive blessings gracefully is essential to our spiritual growth. It means recognizing that we cannot earn God’s favor, and we don’t need to repay Him. Our blessings from God are not transactions; they are expressions of His infinite love and grace. Just as we find joy in blessing others, God finds joy in blessing us. Accepting His blessings means acknowledging our dependence on Him and His generosity.
I want you to challenge yourself to embrace the blessings God gives you, acknowledging that they come from His abundant grace. Let’s move past the discomfort of feeling indebted and instead respond with gratitude and a heart open to receiving. Remember, to be blessed is to receive something you didn’t earn. Accept these gifts with humility and let them draw you closer to the God who loves you unimaginably.
Being blessed is receiving something you didn’t earn. Think about your paycheck. When you receive it after two weeks of work, do you ever exclaim, “Wow! This is such a blessing!”? Probably not. That paycheck is compensation for your labor, something you’ve earned.
Contrast that with the feeling of receiving an unearned gift. Has anyone ever tried to bless you by giving you something unexpectedly? A few weeks ago, my family and I were dining at a restaurant in Ooltewah. At the end of our meal, I asked for the check, and the waiter informed me, “Your meal has been taken care of.” He explained, “There’s another family here that wanted to bless you today!” It was a wonderful surprise.
Despite how wonderful that experience was, I must admit, I’m not very good at receiving blessings. While I love blessing others, receiving blessings can be challenging. When someone blesses us, our initial reaction often is to shy away from it or even refuse the blessing. Why? Because we don’t want to feel indebted to someone else. It’s as if receiving a blessing creates an internal obligation to “pay them back” in some way.
However, this mindset can hinder our ability to fully appreciate the nature of God’s blessings. When Paul writes in Ephesians 1:3 about being blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, he’s talking about gifts we can never earn. These blessings are freely given by God’s grace. They include our salvation, redemption, forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life. We can’t work for these blessings; they are given out of God’s love and grace.
Learning to receive blessings gracefully is essential to our spiritual growth. It means recognizing that we cannot earn God’s favor, and we don’t need to repay Him. Our blessings from God are not transactions; they are expressions of His infinite love and grace. Just as we find joy in blessing others, God finds joy in blessing us. Accepting His blessings means acknowledging our dependence on Him and His generosity.
I want you to challenge yourself to embrace the blessings God gives you, acknowledging that they come from His abundant grace. Let’s move past the discomfort of feeling indebted and instead respond with gratitude and a heart open to receiving. Remember, to be blessed is to receive something you didn’t earn. Accept these gifts with humility and let them draw you closer to the God who loves you unimaginably.
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