Blessed? Now what?

My cup runneth over!

I am too blessed to be stressed!

God is good…all the time!

And on and on go the wonderful colloquialisms of our time about the goodness of God and His rich blessings that He bestows upon us. Yes there are times in our lives that we feel distant from the Lord and are not enthralled with His lavished gifts. However, when we are in that moment of awareness of “life is good,” are we behaving in a way that is respectful of the concept that “life is good”? Complacency v. appreciation is the battle.

You are blessed! Good for you! God has given you…
…a raise
…a new job
…a spouse
…a child
…a new home
…a new car
…a new friend
…safety through travel
…safety through a life situation
…healing

You fill in the blessing. Let me remind you that you are not blessed with just one thing. More on that in a minute. So you are blessed…now what? Are you acting according to that blessing? Are you using that blessing to bless others? Are you taking time to be at the feet of Jesus each and every day and say thank you for this undeserved gift? If you are shaking your head with the answer of no because the things you are blessed with are just everyday life circumstances, let me remind you that your everyday is not the next person’s every day. In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers elaborates on the order of a prayer life. A prayer life begins by expressing your gratitude to your Creator for all the ways in which He has been faithful to you. Do you do that?

I am not just talking about thanking God for your meals, or even for your good day. Do you thank God that you are where you are at your certain walk? Do you thank God for the challenges that He is walking you through? Do you thank God that you are not where you were yesterday? Do you thank God that you were born where you were? Do you thank God that you have money to put gas in your car to get you to the job that you have so you can receive the paycheck that you get in order to pay the rent that you owe for the home that you have that protects you from the cold outside? Some people feel that thanking God for everything can be a bit excessive and time consuming. Let me tell you, I even wept and praised God after we did our taxes the other day as it was not as bad as I had expected. Some might say I have low expectations…I am just aware that it could always be worse!

It is when you begin to thank Him for things that you begin to realize that life is not that bad. It is when you begin to thank Him for things that your soul begins to release the fear and frustration from what is absent from your life. It is when you begin to thank Him for things that you begin to find direction and with that direction comes a sense of peace and purpose. So you are blessed…now what?

What are you doing with that blessing? Do you have a new car? Awesome. Whom are you allowing the opportunity to share in your blessing? Meaning, who are you taking to school/work/church/grocery store with this new mode of transportation? Do you have a roof over your head? Outstanding! Whom are you allowing to share in this blessing? Do you host Bible studies at your home? Do you allow your kids to have guests over and then model for them how a Christian home functions? Do you allow friends to crash there when they need a place to stay? Do you have a job? Great. Do the people at that job know your great secret – JESUS SAVES? Do they see a difference in you because you have been changed? Do the people not at your work see a difference in you because you have been changed? In other words, are you complaining that you are not among the unemployed?

God has blessed me soooooo many times and pretty much all of these blessings are moments that I am truly undeserving of His hand of mercy. Let me tell you how I keep it in perspective. Now mind you, I do have my toddler pity party every once in a while when I think things are unfair. However, when I am continually throwing that pity party at His feet and not in a large public arena, He is faithful to eventually wipe the tears away and push back my hair so that I can see WHY!

I am blessed to have been born in a country where God is still allowed. I pray that sustains! I am blessed to be born in the South where being a Christian is culture. I am blessed to be born to parents who not only know who Jesus is, but also actually practice regular respectful worship and recognition of His greatness. I am blessed to have an education. I am blessed to have a higher education that assisted me in getting a job. I am blessed to have a job, and have had one everywhere we have lived. I am blessed to be able to pay my bills. I am blessed to be able to travel from time to time to vacation or to visit family. I am blessed to not only have one car that runs, but two. I am blessed to have a spouse that knows the Lord. I am blessed to have a spouse that not only knows the Lord, but chooses to serve in an occupation that allows him the blessing of introducing others to the greatness of our Lord. I am blessed to not only have one, but two healthy and wonderful daughters. I am blessed that they are good kids for the most part. I am blessed to have a good relationship with them. I am blessed to have a good relationship with my brother. I am blessed to have a wonderful sister-in-law. I am blessed to have a beautiful niece and nephew with whom I get to spend time. I am blessed to have tremendous in-laws, not just a father and mother-in-law, but the extended family as well. I am blessed to be able to enjoy family gathers, truly enjoy as both sides of our family are just beautiful. I am blessed to have a pillow to sleep on. I am blessed to have a phone to talk/text/email/etc on. I am blessed to have clothes in my closet. I am blessed to have food in my pantry.

I will stop here as I am sure that most of you are bored with this already. My point is that none of these items I have mentioned in my thankfulness are deserved. And none of these items I am blessed with are universal. As I look around the globe…no, my community, I am keenly aware that everything I am blessed with is missing from someone else that I have come in contact with at some point. So what am I doing with my blessings? That is my earnest prayer today. Lord, you have blessed me with ________. How can I better use it for your kingdom? How can I share it with others? How can I honor you with it? So I am blessed, Father. Now what? What can I do with this gift?