What does a blessed life look like?

As a believer I can expect to have God’s favour on my life, right? So that means, presumably, that things will go pretty well with me most of the time (well surely at least more often than in unbelievers lives?) So what should I expect in my day to day life? How can I measure to see whether I am living in blessing or not? What does the life of a particularly blessed person look like anyway?

I’ve had my thoughts on this topic challenged (again) recently. Some of my thinking has been influenced by a book I’ve been reading (Forgotten God – Francis Chan). The guy tells a story about some missionaries taken as hostages in Iraq. Although one of the Christians was killed during their captivity and it was an extremely stressful time for them, some have said since their release that they miss being in captivity! They drew so close to God during that time and so close to each other that they miss the intimacy that they had. Interesting. So what can we conclude from this? Were they more blessed when in fear for their lives or less?

I have found in my own life that, because I am single and spend a lot of time on my own, I often have long conversations with God. I rely on the Holy Spirit for company. It is tempting sometimes for me to think of singleness as a bit of a prison sentence (solitary confinement?) but sometimes I wonder if, one day when I’m married, I’m going to look back on these times and miss being alone with God. So does that mean that I’m living a more blessed life now or will I be more blessed later?

Does living a life of blessing mean that God will hear my prayers and give me everything that I want in the moment? Does it mean my car won’t break, I won’t lose my job, I’ll have a dishwasher and won’t have to wash dishes, I won’t lose my keys, traffic won’t be congested on the way home?.

Maybe it’s time for me to start answering my own questions. Here is a comment from that blessed, mighty man of God, Paul the apostle, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”[1] Huh? In need? Hungry? Paul knew all about cars breaking down (in his case, shipwrecked) and crappy accommodation (sewage strewn jail [eughh!]). He says about all his suffering and sacrifice, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him”[2]. And here lies the secret, I believe, of a truly blessed life. Knowing Jesus is the greatest treasure a person can have, and to be “found in him”. In short, I can tell that I’m blessed when I am continually enjoying the intimacy of the Holy Spirit, and others will know that I am blessed because they’ll see the joy, peace and love that comes beaming out of me. I will keep trusting for material things too, especially those things which I need, but I have come to realise that often times God knows what I need much more than I do. What I consider “blessing” can even be a curse.

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[1] phil 4:12

[2] phil 3:8