A brief moment of reflection this evening has left me with another thing to ponder over. If we accept the following two bases:
- That Jesus showed that God does not give out financial rewards as blessings for those who honour him, but that God instead has an inclination to the poor and the oppressed – thus refuting the thinking behind a “prosperity theology”
- The concept of God’s blessing on people, both corporately and individually, is a definitively biblical principle and as a result; should find a place in my theology
We are left with some fairly gaping questions in the tension between these two positions (at least as they sit in my mind) – specifically:
- What does it mean to be blessed by God? What is God’s blessing? Is anything good that happens to me a “blessing”?
- How ought I react to “doing well financially”? If a sudden financial gain that seems to have no logical explanation was to happen to me, has that come from God?
I’m sure there are more questions, but I’m tired (and lazy), and so I want to hear some responses. Because otherwise this will leave me hanging around with no understanding at all of what God’s blessing actually means.
What about Job?
Success in business, wealth, relationships, health – blessing takes many forms.
Sure – I shouldn’t have been so limited in my description of blessing: but I want to know what it all means. Should I feel like because I have a great job at some stage, then I must be “being blessed by God” – because I certainly can’t fit that into my theology. I don’t know that any of those things change the central question – “what do good things happening to me mean, and what place does blessing have in my theology”.
Yep, I like the question, but I don’t think you can so quickly dismiss prosperity: fine, there’s lots of grey around prosperity doctrine, but there’s plenty of examples of God blessing (position, authority, money, happiness, health) someone who’s faithful (Job, Solomon, David).
My difficulty here is that these dudes are all OT. Did Jesus confirm, update or dismiss this ‘truth’?
Not sure, but the NT writers aren’t clambering all over each other to tell us about faithful people showered in earthly riches.
I was the water to wine story in John this morning. Methinks “beyond the example of a miracle, what’s all that about?”
I came up with this (it’s not massively profound!) – Jesus did that to prove that the overall benefit of his actions was for others, and the fame (or a different outworking of the ‘blessing’) was for the one who didn’t deserve it (because he organised the banquet and DID run out of wine), and he certainly didn’t do it to heap blessing on himself.
This other-focus is clearly a major thrust of the NT.
In my life, I see blessing as undeserved, but in some way influenced by my effort. Sometimes 15 units of work brings 15 units of blessing. Sometimes it’s 10 blessings, sometimes it’s nothing. Such is life. (That’s my take on your question – again, profundity is otherwise occupied)
Resolving that further – what I DO need to work on more is my heart for the others all around me. I’m clearly called to spread what blessing I have, but my heart is still fairly selfish: so the question of what I’m due is not irrelevant, but in comparison certainly not as important as ‘what am I doing with what I have?’.
Good pondering though; you’ve got me thinking again.
sorry for the lengthy reply.
I think we can mount an arguement from Scripture that those who are good stewards of what God gives may possibly be given more (Matthew 25:15-29). But God doesn’t just give money.
oh yeah! *slaps forehead*
You got me thinking on this one too Geoff, all day in fact (well off and on in between net surfing and general life)… My 2 tired cents worth – blessings not necessarily financial, not necessarily recognisable – I am sure there is a reason for the “blessings in disguise” line. I am not sure blessing as we in the west see it is necessarily a reward for faithfulness either. Otherwise the poor second cousin church of the east, of the third world, is clearly not blessed, nor faithful. Interesting to note (but not that helpful) that the word ‘blessing’ according to the wiki originally referred to blood sprinkled during pagan sacrifices. Perhaps looking at the beatitudes will tell us something of what it is to be blessed.
Good starting points.
I think the question of the nature of blessing is important: what is it? Is it tangible? Always?
Further, I think there are definite examples of one persons blessing being a burden for another.
The frustrating question for me is – how can we bless God?
We often view it in terms of gain – as in Matt’s business, wealth, health areas. But what is it in regard to relationships? Gain of stuff? I think most would agree that it is not just that, but it is “gain” of encounter and love and truth and sharing
I have heard (and will need to track it down later) that blessing means something akin to “sitting/kneeling in the presence of” and when we relate that to God I begin to see how some of these things come together a bit better.
In his presence I (and we in the corporate sense) am shaped to be better people; less afraid of some things, open to other things, content in some things, determined to see change in others. And out of this the blessings are seen.
Maybe? Maybe I am over-spiritualising and just not looking at the literal, physical, financial dimensions enough.
I’ve heard blessedness being described as happiness (not sure about this one), or that to be blessed is “to be envied” (obviously envying in the “loving christian” sense
I think the intent of the phrase was that you look at them and say, “I want the same as what they’ve got”, not, “I want it and wish they didn’t have it”. Anyway…)
How does this work – “To be envied” are those that mourn, for they will be comforted. “To be envied” are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the righteousness of heaven. “To be envied” are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. “To be envied” are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Thoughts anyone?