What Kind of Blessing?

Quick–think of eight things you wish were different about you.

Got them in your head?

What did you come up with? If you could reinvent your personality, your habits, and your character with the snap of your fingers, what would the transformation look like?

Maybe your list was something like this: I wish I could lose 25 pounds. I’d like to have more time and more money. I want to exercise more and go to bed earlier. It would be nice for my sports team to win it all just once. I want my health back. I’d like a more prestigious position.

Nothing terrible in that list, several pretty good things in fact. But if that’s all we want, we don’t know what it really means to be blessed (Matt. 5:3-12). If we are honest, we too easily buy into the Beatitudes of the World.

Blessed are the rich, for theirs is the kingdom of pleasure.
Blessed are those who feel good about themselves, for they shall be confident.
Blessed are the aggressive, for they shall control the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for recognition, for they shall be noticed.
Blessed are the demanding, for they shall receive what’s coming to them.
Blessed are the sexually liberated, for they shall be their own gods.
Blessed are the scheming, for they shall be called children of the powerful.
Blessed are those who are praised by the world, for theirs is the kingdom of now.

Isn’t that what the world considers blessing? And isn’t it a million miles from being a disciple of Christ seeking after the kingdom of heaven? Jesus expects more from us, and he promises to give us much more than we can ask or imagine. So who are you going to be and whose promises are you going to believe?