When was the last time you remember acknowledging that you are truly blessed? Was it when you got the news that your offer on a house was accepted? Or when you spent quality time with your family? Or maybe when you remarked on the achievements made possible due to a full bill of health?
No matter what's caused you to count your blessings lately, it's unlikely to have been something traditionally viewed as negative - the loss of your job, a feeling of sadness, dissatisfaction with your relationship status - but as Jesus explained in Matthew 5, such things don't mean that you're life isn't blessed. Far from it.
So often we think that our lives need to be running smoothly for us to be blessed, when in fact, Jesus' message in the Beatitudes suggests quite the contrary. He says: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who hunger for thirst and righteousness'.
How can it be that we're blessed in such states? Or even "happy", as the Greek word "myriakos" in the text, can also be translated to mean. It all comes down to the fact that blessings aren't exclusively represented by prosperity, happiness and good fortune, the things that we ordinarily associate them with.
To be blessed by God doesn't necessarily mean that everything will look good on the outside. Rather, it's that regardless of external appearances, we're joyful because of our relationship with Him.
In Matthew 5, Jesus goes on to teach the crowds in further detail about the qualities that those who are blessed possess but we're just going to look at three of them here.
Meek
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth
To be meek is to be gentle, a quality that is encouraged throughout the Bible. One of the greatest demonstrations of meekness that we can show is to submit to God's will even though we have the freedom to do whatever we want, and setting aside our own earthly ambitions to do what He commands of us.
If you want to know whether you're living a life that is blessed, examine your lifestyle and ask yourself: "Am I living a life that demonstrates a willingness to submit to God? Am I gentle in my interactions with others?"
Merciful
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy
We're not deserving of God's mercy towards us but He gives it to us anyway. Following His example, we shouldn't concern ourselves with whether someone deserves mercy from us or not. If we really know and accept God's mercy, then we should eagerly and unreservedly show it to each other.
Is there someone that you need to forgive? Have you withheld compassion from someone because you think they haven't earned it? You can't live a blessed life or have truly understood God's mercy if you're not merciful yourself.
Peacemaker
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God
As Christians we know that true peace comes through Christ. Being a peacemaker is more than just calming external conflicts between people, it's also about helping them find the way to find peace within. This inner peace is something that can only be reached through Jesus (John 14:27).
Are you someone who shares the Gospel with others so that they may know the peace that a relationship with Jesus can bring? Do your own actions indicate that you've come to experience peace through Christ?
