Blessed

Blessing is about who we are

What does blessing in the Bible mean?

Gift of life and empowerment

God’s blessing is central to life with God.

God’s 1st words over humanity were words of blessing

Genesis 1:28 “28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.””

Gives direction and meaning for who we are

What we do comes out of who we are not what we do

Leviticus 26 contains a series of blessings - you and community

Numbers 6:22–27 “22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: 24 ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. 25 May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. 26 May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’ 27 Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.””

2 main elements:

1 - God is the source!

2 - God also uses people to bless people

God told Moses - Aaron - People

He uses people - like you!

Working definitions:

Blessing is about who we are

The Bible doesn’t cut a clear distinction between blessing and affirmation as this book / scaffolding

The bible blesses for who you are and what you do.

Sides of a coin - affirmation & blessing

Affirmation - last week

In our modern understanding:

Blessing =

When we are accepted

Not worried about what others think

When we are special in someone's eyes

Cherished

They see value in us and natural drawn

What it looks like when blessed

Unconditional Love

Experience Joy & Delight in relationships

Identity of worth

What it looks like when we lack Blessing

Lack Affirmation - guilty about what we do.

Lack Blessings - feel shameful about who we are.

Confusion = blessed by doing

You can’t earn blessing

Burned out

I have worked to get a blessing, and it turned out worn out and burned down.

I have done more in the last 8 years with less burnout.

Neglect “What you should have gotten and didn’t.”

Often, people go through life silently angry or sad

Makes sense, but it can lead to destructive behaviors against yourself and others.

cycle of shame

I'm not good

I deserve bad things

I might as well not try

You explode or act out/ numb out

Then you feel bad

EXAMPLES

Finances

Parenting

Sexuality - it is never your fault; you have been abused.

God’s love is not based on what we do, it is on who we are.

You can tell where the relationship stands

It’s often easier to hear and say something based on action

Good job

You did it

Congratulations

It’s harder to hear and say - More personal

You are kind

You are loving

God has gifted you

You are mine

Parents & Blessings

Being blessed may be our deepest, most primal need

If our accomplishments, honors, or possessions are all stripped away, we are still loved.

Special in someone's eyes.

Parents should be the 1st source of blessing

God gave his blessing power to Parents

All parents fail

Forgiving your parents

You can keep boundaries

Don’t paint God in light of your earthly parents

Blessings from Mother &/OR Father missing?

Now What?

1) God 1st

He is perfect

Total dependence on God.

If you let God meet this it's more rich than you can image - Jesus

We have to take on what God says about our Identity

2) Bless Others

This is hard because it is external. We need each other

Abraham is the break human nature

3) Church

“The New Family”

He is not reaching for an example

God blesses for no good reason

Psalm 139:13–16 “13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

Psalm 100:3 “3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

God’s Blessing

1) He just loves us.

God blesses Jesus - baptism

Matthew 3:17 “17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.””

Chapter 3 before he does anything

Kids/family members

How do we respond - just sit in his love!

Matthew 5:2–12 “2 and he began to teach them. 3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. 6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. 7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. 9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”

Emotional states / or mind states that God blesses

2) We are his Kids

1 John 3:1 “1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.”

Recognize

0 -0

Not us vs them

We have to take on what God says about our Identity

You are not more or less

Conclusion

Blessing is about who we are

I can't overstate this: Change how you think and move

Living Out of vs For Blessing

Here is How we live out blessing:

God 1st

Because he loved us 1st

Not parents

Bless others

Because God blessed us

Abraham is the break human nature

Participate in the church

Because Jesus started The New Family

Prayer

Encouragements

Relationship needs

Celebrations