Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10 (KJV).

REFLECT:
It is common practice these days to hear people refer to the word blessed. We hear such statements like “I feel blessed,” or “I count myself blessed because I have so and so in my life, or I have these number of things.”

When we talk about being Blessed, most of us will agree that such a state is usually associated with good, comfort, and fulfillment, a well-deserved or well-earned lifestyle.

Some of us may also consider being blessed as appreciation or recognition we get from people around us because of an impressive service we rendered to them. Receiving such appreciation or recognition would make us feel good, special, and proud of our efforts and thus we may consider ourselves blessed as a result.

Sincerely, all the definitions given above can be presumably linked to what blessed means. However, our idea of being blessed, if only based on these definitions given above, does not possibly give us a complete picture of what being blessed is.

The definitions just mentioned above only portray the world’s perception of the whole aspect of blessed. This type of being blessed is purely based on- give and take: ‘you do this for me and I will give you what I think you deserve’.

Therefore, whatever the world doesn’t see as giving them what they need, or what they can benefit from is always repaid or reciprocated with harshness, cruelty, indifference, and insensitivity. The world’s concept of blessed stems from a gain mentality without an iota of sacrifice, real commitment, or even pain, hardship, and endurance attached to it.

Anything else other than what the world considers about the whole notion of being blessed is usually seen as alien and foreign. Why is this? This is because the world does not understand the full essence of what it means to be blessed.

Our Bible verse for today presents a totally different picture of the word blessed and the concept it portrays. This is the deep understanding that the state of being blessed can only be derived when it comes from a place of sacrifice or sacrificial offering for the purposes that will bring about God’s divine will.

The reason why this kind of state of blessedness must be gotten through selfless sacrifice or sacrificial offering is that:

First, such selfless sacrifice touches the heart of the Father.

Secondly, it would cost us a lot. For example, in our Bible verse, we notice this Bible verse refers to a specific group of people. People who have practically lost their reputation just for standing with righteousness. They are persecuted, afflicted, tortured, and abused because they have chosen to stand with God and to do His will.

As a result of this decision to stand with God and His righteousness, God in turn vows to pour out on this group of people His heartfelt blessings. Blessings that encompass all spiritual, physical, and emotional satisfaction in God’s favor, joy, peace, salvation, strength, grace, goodness, and many more which stand as the totality of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is what it means to be truly blessed.

When we choose to stand with God in His righteousness to do what is right, we delight His heart, and this causes God’s Heart to open unto us the entire blessedness of the Kingdom of Heaven – qualifying us as Blessed.

Ebimobo W. Obasi

PLEASE PRAY ALONG:

A Prayer for Pursuing Righteousness.

FATHER GOD, when I feel weak, remind me that You are strong. And when I feel like giving up, give me the strength to persevere. Show me what it means to pursue righteousness, and then help me to live well. I want every aspect of my life to glorify Your name. In JESUS MIGHTY NAME.