Are You Blessed? Really Blessed?
Who determines who is blessed and what are the criteria for being blessed?
God bless you v. You are blessed
When Jesus sat on the mountain to teach on one occasion, He began to say what is now commonly known as the Beatitudes, which open with "Blessed are". When we consider those the Lord said are blessed, we may have to call to question the people we had deemed blessed. Indeed, "You are blessed!" is a common greeting in Pentecostal circles. And some have taken it even personally by saying, "I am blessed!" Others still have extended it to include, "and highly favoured". Ordinarily, this would not be an issue for discussion except that there is an air of finality in the proclamation, "You are blessed!" and "I am blessed!".
In distinction from "God bless you", which is essentially a prayer, "You are blessed!" or "I am blessed!" is a fait accompli. So, while "God bless you" is a request for God to bless the recipient, "You are blessed!" speaks of a done deal! It is thus imperative that we correctly interpret these words, "You are blessed!", lest we make an incorrect pronouncement.
"To bless" is to bestow or declare a special favour upon someone. It could be from a superior to a subordinate or a subordinate to a superior. In the case of the former, the superior would be God or a person of spiritual authority. In contrast, in the latter instance, a subordinate would request a special favour upon his superior for a benefit he has received. Thus, men may bless God as an appreciation for His daily benefits, and a subordinate may request God's favour upon his fellow human being who is his superior.
In pronouncing a blessing, the blesser invokes the name of God upon the individual they are requesting that God bless. Such a pronouncement seeks that God goes with the individual, be with them, or wrought a wonder in their life, ministry, marriage, etc. However, when we say that someone is blessed, we are essentially making a statement of fact. We are not requesting that God bless someone but saying that the individual is blessed already.
What does it mean to be blessed?
The word commonly translated as 'blessed', is the Greek word, 'Makarios', which does not have an English word that adequately translates it. Thus, translators of the English Bible have variously translated the word 'blessed' as 'happy', 'fortunate', 'to be envied', 'spiritual prosperity', etc. The word 'happy', which most modern translations of the Bible use, is a great disservice to the word 'blessed', for it means much more than being happy. Happiness is usually associated with an outward occurrence, whereas 'blessed' is an inward condition with little to do with the individual's external circumstance or status.
In reality, to be blessed is to have God in and with you. It is thus a result of the presence of God in and with a person, which made Bible translators use words like 'happy', 'fortunate', 'spiritually prosperous', etc., to describe one who is blessed. A blessed person is considered happy, fortunate, and spiritually prosperous as the outward sign of an inward grace or blessing. Angel Gabriel's greeting of Mary portrayed that she was divinely favoured when he said,
"Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." (Luke 1:28, KJV)
The colon in the angel's statement suggests that "blessed art thou" summarises what came before—highly favoured; the Lord is with you!
"You are blessed!", therefore, means "God is with, and in, you" (and all that goes with His presence). If God is with you and in you, you will enjoy certain privileges, including the grace to endure the challenges of life and the humility to enjoy the goodness of God. Thus, we say that such an individual is blessed! That God is with and in an individual does not imply the absence of temptations, trials, and tribulations; rather, it means the presence (in abundance) of the gift of the grace of God to endure the challenges of life (2 Corinthians 12:9). Indeed, God was with Jesus (Acts 10:38), yet He faced the contradictions of life. But because God was with and in Him, the strength to endure trials and overcome temptation was available. On the cross at Calvary, the Holy Spirit, through Paul, said,
"God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19, NLT)
And since God was in Christ on the cross, we can say, without any contradiction whatsoever, that Jesus was blessed, even on the cross! His physical or emotional circumstances did not in any way diminish His blessedness!
In another sense, to be 'blessed' would mean to be 'well-off'—in what matters the most: the presence of God on the earth and in eternity. To be 'well-off' does not necessarily connote possessing material or worldly valuables. Rather, it is the possession of something of eternal value regardless of your outward or physical circumstance.
Thus, in the story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-25), although Lazarus was destitute and in poor health by medical standards while here on earth, he was much well-off in eternity, for he secured eternal life. In contrast, the rich man who lived in affluence all the days of his earthly life had nothing but suffering in eternity. Therefore, to be truly blessed is to be well-off in the things of God, presently, and ultimately, in eternity!
Who should bless an individual?
The Bible tells us that,
"the LORD knows those who are his" (2 Timothy 2:19, NLT)
So, an individual does not have to say that another person is blessed. God, Himself, will testify that about anyone He has blessed. For example, the Bible says,
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." (Psalms 1:1-3, ESV)
In the above scripture passage, we see signs that accompany blessed individuals. They are fruitful in season and out of season and remain 'evergreen'. But there are conditions precedent: they do not follow the counsel of wicked people, neither do they fraternise with habitual sinners nor congregate with those who scoff at God and His work. Instead, they delight in studying and living out God's word. Such individuals do not capitulate to the enemy, the devil; neither do they faint when adversity comes (Proverbs 24:10).
A blessed man always has God present with and in him. Joseph enjoyed special favours though he was a slave in Potiphar's home. And when he was imprisoned on false charges, God was with him still (Genesis 39:1-23). The thinking that a person must possess worldly goods or occupy a highly acclaimed position to be said to be blessed, is a misnomer and does grave injustice to the word 'blessed'.
You are blessed, only because God has bestowed His grace upon you, regardless of your present outward condition. Your being blessed is a spiritual state of well-being because God is with you and in you!
So, when Jesus taught,
Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12, NKJV)
He was enunciating that God is present with and in those who recognise their need for Him (the poor in spirit), mourn for sin, desire God's righteousness, etc. Such individuals are blessed because God is with them. These individuals must meet those conditions—poor in spirit, mourn for sin, desire righteousness, be full of mercy, etc.!
Only God can bless a person, and they are blessed (Numbers 23:19-21)! Any individual pronouncing a blessing on another, requires a divine accent; otherwise, it is but a mere statement!
This brings us to the crucial question, "Are you blessed?"
I do not want to sound like a spoiler, but you cannot live like a wolf and claim to be a lamb. That would be deceptive and does you no good. Balaam, the money-minded prophet, who saw the future of Israel, said,
"Let me die like the righteous; let my life end like theirs." (Numbers 23:10, NLT)
Balaam desired to have the blessing that was Israel without meeting the conditions for receiving it. No wonder he died the death of a sinner (Numbers 31:8; Joshua 13:22).
You cannot live unrighteously and hope to die the death of the righteous. Such hope is wishful thinking and hopeless. You cannot live like a vagabond, and turn around to say that you are blessed, just because you attend a church denomination or local assembly with the slogan, "We are blessed!"
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be blessed, but everything is wrong with desiring such while living in sin. God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13), so, He cannot dwell in or with a person who habitually lives in sin.
Though they are aware that they are blessed, blessed people do not go about announcing it to everyone. God promotes blessed people by the accompanying signs of His presence, including His watchful eyes over them even in times of trials. The Psalmist says,
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psalms 23:1-6, KJV)
Of particular interest is the Psalmist's statement in v.4 & 5, which shows his dependence on God and understanding that everything would not always work out as one may wish. Indeed, there are times when we would walk through the valley of the shadow of death and banquet at the Lord's table while the enemy looks on. The Psalmist's confidence was based on knowing that God was with him regardless of where he was! Therefore, provided you depend on God for all your needs, yes, even your very existence, and recognise your need for Him every day and every time, you can, like the Psalmist, be confident of God's blessing upon you.
You cannot make a verbal confession that you are blessed when your lifestyle contradicts God's way and will. You must be living the God-ordained life. Such a life does not have the trappings of this world but is nonetheless the life that God has purposed to bless. Moses had to give up the pleasures of Egypt and suffer with the children of Israel (Hebrews 11:24-26), and he was a blessed man indeed! You will be blessed when you give up all for God—both here and in eternity!