What Does It Really Mean That We Are #blessed?

It’s not Thanksgiving or New Years, so we probably haven’t been spending a lot of time counting our blessings lately, but take a moment to pause and just think about how you have been blessed in your life. Start with the basics:

Did you have food to eat today? That is a blessing.

Do you have a safe place to sleep tonight? That is a blessing.

Do you have a good friend or family member you can talk to? That is a blessing.

Have you been breathing unaided the whole time you’ve been reading this article? That is a blessing.

Yeah yeah yeah, you’re thinking. I have all of those things, but life is still tough. Those are just the basics! Is God only interested in giving me the basics? Am I really #blessed if I’m not healthy, wealthy or popular?

Consider these:

What is something that fills you with joy? (It can be something small and silly, or something grand.)

What is a skill that you have that makes you feel proud?

Who in your life has made you feel safe and loved?

What do you think is the most beautiful thing in the world?

What is your favorite Bible verse? Why?

The world around us dictates what we must have or do to live a rich life. But we are not #blessed because we have a bottomless bank account, a Hollywood-ready spouse, a Pinterest-worthy house and perfect health and joy. If that’s what we are waiting for (or demanding of God) then we will only be disappointed. We are blessed by so many little joys in our day-to-day life, by needs met in unexpected ways, but people who come into our lives to help us, or just to make us smile. God can bless us by laying a particular verse on our hearts, to encourage us in a difficult time. Or we can be blessed just by a sunny day and a good song on the radio when we need a pick-me-up.

God can certainly give us all the big, extravagant things, but we don’t want to start thinking of Him like a genie who only exists to give us cool things. He has already given us so many cool things! If we stop to ponder all the small blessings around us, and thank God for all of them, then I guarantee you will be blown away by how much you have.

However, we are not only #blessed by the small things. Every big, extravagant, exciting thing is a massive blessing from God Almighty! Maybe you do have a bottomless bank account, Hollywood-ready spouse, Pinterest-worthy house, perfect health and joy. Praise God if so! All of those big things are also blessings. We must spend time thanking Him for guiding us through the right doors and opening up opportunities for big blessings as well.

May we come to God in thanksgiving every time we remember that we are #blessed. That goes for the brand-new car, and the free chicken wings.

More from this author
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What Is a Biblically Accurate Angel?
8 Verses for When Your Patience Is Wearing Thin

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Bethany Pyle is the editor for Bible Study Tools.com and the design editor for Crosscards.com. She has a background in journalism and a degree in English from Christopher Newport University. When not editing for Salem, she enjoys good fiction and better coffee.