Do You Feel Blessed?

One day I was asked this question, How is your life lately? You seem always at peace and uplifted! I had to think it over before answering. In my mind I was thinking: do I really tell the person the truth, or do I generalize? Overall, compared to at least fifty percent of the people living in the world, I was quite well! No illnesses, a job, healthy family members, food on my table, clothes on my back and in my closet, a mortgaged home, a paid off car, a spouse and working spouse, credit cards debt, a few pennies in the bank, etc. What is it to complain about?

Like most of us would do, I chose to generalize. My answer was, “I'm blessed! Thanks for asking”. What about you? After all, If I had to tell the truth, I'll have to start talking about the drama that I am living. I seem to be a drama queen in her own little world. Was generalizing my answer untruthful? In my case I really don't think so! I've come to realize that most people usually don't really expect a truthful answer when phrasing a greeting. After all, what could people do when you start telling them your heartaches. Also it wouldn't make much sense to start telling your life stories to simple acquaintances.

But the person asking the question didn't realize how a simple statement, “You seem always at peace and uplifted” affected me. Two words in the comment prompted me to write this article. They were “you seem.” The person was quite right! “I seem”. What does that mean? When I look in The Random House Dictionary available to me, I picked the first definition that fits my situation from the various ones offered. It goes, “to give the outward appearance of being”. That was a perfect definition to me.

After all, am I the only one that seem? How often we seem alright on the outside, but full of hurts, pride, grief, insecurity, despair, vanity, to name a few, on the inside. I don't know how someone is supposed to look, but I do know what the bible say about certain issues of the heart common to all. Through my life, I've appropriated the wonderful promises of God in the bible and make them mine. This is probably one of the reasons why I appear the way I do to some people.

When financial issues raise up its ugly head, I go: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I don't need anything” (Psalm 23:1). When dealing with husband issues, I go: “The Lord my Maker is my husband and redeemer” (Isaiah 54:5). I wonder what man quotes when dealing with wife issues. When finding that children are becoming rebellious, and I wonder what should I do, or need to do differently, I go: “The battle is not against flesh and blood”; the seed of the righteous will inherit the land” (Ephesians 6:12; Psalm 37;25-29). When battling with attitudes in myself contradictory with the fruit of the Spirit, I go: “Lord help! I can't do anything about that one” (Hebrews 2:18; Hebrews 4:15). When confronting betrayals I say to myself, “Who do you think you are? Even Jesus was betrayed and abandoned by mostly all his closest friends”. Wake up, be strong and courageous in the Lord and in the power of His might. When feeling down because things are not going too well, I go: “The joy of the Lord is my strength; and He will never leave me nor forsake me” (Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 30:5; Hebrew 15:5).

I've always dealt with issues of life by bringing them to Jesus and holding to His promises outlined in the bible (1 Peter 5:7). After all, they are issues to me because I can't do anything about them. Can I change anything when I worry? Surely not! Jesus directs us not to worry about the basic necessities of life, which in my case, He has always provided (Mathew 6:25-32).

Appropriating the promises of God for me allows me to live a lifestyle with a peace that is always abounding. Since I know where all evil comes from, I hold on to prayers and to the keys given to me by my Father to combat the works of the evil one (Luke 10:19; Mathew 16:19; Mathew 18:18; 2 Corinthians 2:11) I chose to believe that the Word of God in my mouth will not come back void. I choose to speak it when confronting issues of life, and will continue to say it until I die, if the Master tarries (Isaiah 55:11).

Don't ever forget that Jesus died for us to have an abundant life. We are adopted into God's family, and He wants us to be like Him. Know that no matter what we endure in this life, He will see us through when we depend on Him. I chose to say that He is my defense and I shall not be moved. As I take life one day at a time, I am able to say everyday victoriously, “I am blessed!” What about you?

Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it! (Luke 11:28)

Marie Monaus