To be blessed means to be given a favor or gift, especially one that we do not deserve. Most definitely, we are recipients of God’s blessings, favor, and grace. God’s greatest blessing to us is the gift of His Son, Jesus, the promise of eternal life, and His continuing presence with us through the Holy Spirit. Know that He promises to be with us no matter what we go through.
(Proverbs 27:23-24, NIV)
How can you tell if God has blessed you?
A blessed life is not one without earthly problems but one in which we are deeply drawn into the embrace of the Father, in spite of whatever else might be going on around us. How do we know that we are blessed? Because His word tells us so. For one thing, a blessed life is also one in which our eyes and hearts stay steadfast, fixed on Him, delighting in His presence and living in obedience to His commands. A blessed life is a peace that passes all understanding, and one that finds rest in God alone.
I think the promise of His presence is one of his greatest blessings, actually. He says nothing can separate us from the love of God. And I also know that God’s blessings are both material and non-material. Do not limit the blessings to only wealth and fame and houses because that would be very short-sighted. Look at Abraham, Jacob, and David, for example, they were people like us, who loved God and were blessed with material wealth.
So if God blesses you materially, what do you do with that? I believe that there is a responsibility to be accountable for every gift or favor God has blessed us with. How are you taking care of all the material things that God has entrusted to you? It could be a great marriage, beautiful kids, a fat bank account, good health, or even a nice roof over your head. How are you staying accountable for these?
Be Responsible With Your Material Blessings
If God has blessed you with financial wealth, are you being wasteful or careless? Do you keep track of your expenses? Do you put yourself on a budget? Or could it be that you’re spending on every whim? Are you investing? There are several resources out there to teach you if you need help in this area.
Do you take your good health or faithful, loving spouse for granted? Our bible verse today tells us that if we will not take care to watch the state of our finances, we could lose our wealth. Let us apply this same principle to our health, our marriages, and with every resource that God has blessed us with.
Take care to be responsible for every material blessing you have received. Remember the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes, He asked that the leftovers be gathered up after everyone had eaten. The kingdom of God is not a kingdom of waste.
