As a Chinese person, I celebrated my new year on February 8. During the special New Year season, I greeted people with these words among others: “gōng xǐ fā cái” (happiness and prosperity) and “nián nián yǒu yú” (a wish for abundance and surpluses)—extending blessings of good health, prosperity, success, and happiness.
Jesus once described the kind of people God loves to bless. As He taught about the kingdom of God (Matthew 4:23), in what’s commonly known as the Beatitudes, Jesus described the character of those who belong to God’s kingdom, and He poured out God’s blessings on them.
Bless or makarios (in Greek) means “happy.” Some say this is Jesus’ prescription for human happiness. But our use of the word happy has to do with how we feel about something. Happiness depends on happenings, and that’s not what’s meant here.
Makarios describes people who are especially favored by God and who are happy because they’ve received God’s favor. They may experience sad events and may not be happy, but they still know they’re blessed.
So to be blessed is to be approved by God. It’s experiencing His congratulations and being commended by Him. Pastor and author Max Lucado wrote a book on the Beatitudes with the appropriate title The Applause of Heaven. When you’re the kind of person described in the Beatitudes, God gives you His approval. And you receive the applause of heaven. Another author calls these eight beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10), “The Beautiful Attitudes.” You and I are blessed as we experience God working within us, drawing out the actions and attitudes that meet His approval (2 Corinthians 10:18). Blessings on your day!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 1 Samuel 17:32-58
More:
Read Psalm 112:1 and 2 Timothy 2:15 to understand who is blessed and receives God’s approval.
Next:
What does it mean to bless another person? How has God blessed you? How can you bless Him?
Gary Shultz on March 28, 2016 at 5:54 am
K.T. to me the lasting blessing is a transfer from God through you to that person. It may be a smile, time, material goods, or blessing them from God’s word. God is the Lord of blessings He invented it and is still the Master of bringing to us the right blessing at the exact right time. It is a shame that we probably miss many and take them for granted; however, God is not daunted by our oversight. Although a blessing is given from the greater to the lesser, I think it is clear that thanksgiving, praise, and obedience are some of the ways we can return a small portion of thanks and respect to God. Thank you, K.T.
jim spillane on March 28, 2016 at 12:18 pm
Gary – good morning, my friend. I certainly agree when you say that “God is the lord of blessings.” At the risk of changing His words, I often like to substitute the word “blessings” for the words “they are” in the NKJV of Lamentations 3:23, so that it reads, the Lord’s blessings are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I will ask His forgiveness for my slight indiscretion. And I will ask that He blesses you today and always!
Tim Gustafson on March 28, 2016 at 8:01 am
K.T., thanks for a wonderful explanation of what it means to be blessed. There is indeed a significant difference between “happiness” and “blessedness.”
Tom Felten on March 28, 2016 at 8:20 am
KT, as we celebrated Jesus’ resurrection yesterday, I was reminded of how blessed we are because of His amazing sacrifice. To follow Him in obedience is an opportunity for us to bless Him in return!
gagirllive on March 28, 2016 at 8:37 am
K.T., I like what you shared about one author’s description of this passage, calling it “The Beautiful Attitudes”. That certainly seems to be the message that Jesus is conveying to His disciples then and now. Jesus is teaching what Kingdom life is like. Because we know that we are so favored–so graced by Him, there is this reversal of destiny that awaits us even though our present circumstances may not reflect that. It’s as though He is telling us to put into practice here and now the right attitude–“the beautiful attitude”– because in His coming kingdom we will experience in full what we can only know in part now…Kingdom Life. Today we can be extensions of His grace because of all that He’s done for us–and for all that’s ahead. As you so aptly put it, “blessed to be a blessing”. Blessings back to you, K.T.!
sandy229 on March 28, 2016 at 9:14 am
I also like that description, “The Beautiful Attitudes”. We should always try to conduct ourselves with the right attitude- the beautiful attitude! I really agree with all that you say, you are such a blessing to me gagirlive. Thank you so much!!
jim spillane on March 28, 2016 at 12:29 pm
gagirllive – I picked up on what you said when you stated, “He is telling us to put into practice here and now the right attitude.” And why do we practice something, so that we can become better at it and it becomes more natural for us to do it. Kind of like preparing here on earth for our eternal life in heaven, so that once we arrive there, the “Beautiful Attitudes” will come naturally to us. May God’s blessings be upon you.
sandy229 on March 28, 2016 at 2:16 pm
That’s so true Jim. It’s sorta like when a Dr. has a practice, and he keeps on practicing until he reaches perfection which I don’t think they ever really do. But just by practicing what we preach, we develop an attitude of peace that goes beyond understanding. The more we do this, hopefully others will want to know what we have that makes us different from the rest of the world. You’re right, the more we practice these attitudes, the more they will just come naturally.
gagirllive on March 28, 2016 at 2:18 pm
Yes, Jim! This is our rehearsal time. 🙂
sandy229 on March 28, 2016 at 2:21 pm
Rehearsal time, yes I like that.
sandy229 on March 28, 2016 at 9:17 am
Thank you so much K.T. for this wonderful devotional. You are really a blessing to me as are all who make comments here. I only hope I can always have the beautiful attitude Jesus tells me to have. I want to always have the beautiful attitude in everything I say and everything I do, so I can be a reflection of Christ who died for me!! Also, I prefer to think that Joy is much better than happiness!
gagirllive on March 28, 2016 at 11:27 am
Amen, Sandy! I like to think of “joy” as a perspective whereas “happy” is an emotion. Big difference. And Sandy, I think you reflect that beautiful attitude that we’re talking about here today. It shines through your comments as well as the others who post here. Written words can be kinda tricky because we don’t hear the tone and attitude behind them, but I think the spirit of Christ can be felt as we write words that exalt Him and edify others, don’t you?
jim spillane on March 28, 2016 at 12:45 pm
gagirllive – you present a “beautiful attitude” yourself in your comment about others here at this forum and the “spirit of Christ” that is felt here. I always enjoy reading your comments because I usually get a “take away” from them, if you know what I mean.
gagirllive on March 28, 2016 at 2:23 pm
Thanks, Jim! Your comments also provoke me to think! Everyone who posts here is a tremendous daily encouragement in my life. I love how all the gifted ODJ writers open up the conversations for us!
sandy229 on March 28, 2016 at 3:05 pm
I like that too how the gifted ODJ writers open up the conversations for us!! That plus the comments that everyone makes here really open my brain up to re-think things that I thought I knew before but shed a whole new light on things. I am so grateful and blessed to have everyone here that I can talk to, and it really helps me in my walk with Christ. Sometimes its really hard to explain, but I get the feeling that everyone already understands what I am trying to convey.
sandy229 on March 28, 2016 at 2:19 pm
Oh yes, definitely!!!