Blessed.
It was Sunday morning at 12 a.m., and a friend and I were returning from a party. We had an incredible time, and she couldn’t stop talking about the event. As she radiated joy from our fun, I also shared her excitement as her host. I had a great time, but now I want to go home. It had been an eventful day, and all I wanted was to drop her off, get home, sleep, and attend church in a few hours. The drive wouldn’t take long, and I expected to be home by 1 a.m. I just needed to make it home safely. We stopped at a traffic light and waited for it to turn green.
Suddenly, without warning, a car appeared from the side and collided with us. What followed seemed like a scene from a Fast and Furious movie. Everything happened so quickly. There was a loud crash, and I was shaken. Although nothing physically hit my arm, I felt an impact on my right arm. My car started flashing warning signals I had never seen before, and I noticed pieces of my car scattered around the scene. The other party involved in the accident drove off, leaving me in the middle of the street with a wrecked car and debris from the crash littering the road. I could hear my friend yelling, but I couldn’t respond. She shook me, but I was unable to answer. The police and ambulance arrived in a rush. It felt surreal, like a movie I hoped was not real.
The day after the accident, I laid on my bed and wept. Numerous questions raced through my mind.
“How could this happen?”
“How could I let it happen??”
“What happened to my new car?”
“Will it be repaired?” “What comes next???”
I had never imagined that something like this could happen to me. I had never been in such a severe car accident before. Where do I go from here? I no longer had a car, I could barely bear weight on my arm, and I was traumatized. How do I move forward when I don’t even know what the next steps are?
And during one of my toughest seasons this year, the Lord chose to use it to teach me something about true blessing and joy.
“No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39 ESV)
Many times, when people quote this verse, they use it to support the idea that God will always compensate us for our losses. Therefore, you hear phrases such as “every setback is a set-up for your comeback” or “every disappointment leads to a divine appointment,” which can be inspiring and motivational, especially during times of loss or pain. However, I don’t believe this was Paul’s intention when he wrote Romans 8:37–39. In fact, I believe Paul had a different thought process when he penned that verse. Let’s take a closer look at another verse we often overlook:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” (Romans 4:7-8 ESV)
Frequently, when we think of blessings, we associate them with material things. We link blessings with new cars, new houses, financial prosperity, and so on. However, Paul had a different understanding of what it means to be blessed. In the above verse, Paul describes the forgiven man as blessed. He makes no mention of the person’s financial status or earthly possessions. Instead, Paul focuses on the individual’s spiritual reality, their righteousness, as evidence of their ‘blessing.’
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will… In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” (Ephesians 1:3-8)
When we read these verses in context, we see that the blessing Paul refers to is the gift of salvation and adoption into God’s family. Paul doesn’t mention our earthly possessions. We are blessed not because of what we physically possess in this world but because of what we have spiritually—both in this world and the world to come. Paul emphasizes this sentiment multiple times in his letters, and we observe a similar thought process in Romans 8:37–39. We have been forgiven of our sins. We have been saved. We are now adopted into God’s family. Paul is more than a conqueror not because he will become wealthy or because God will grant him an abundance of earthly possessions to compensate for the persecution he faced. No, he is more than a conqueror because he has an eternal inheritance that surpasses the suffering he experiences (Romans 8:17-18).
Furthermore, Paul doesn’t consider his suffering as an indication of whether Jesus still loves him or not. Jesus’ love for him has already been displayed on the cross (Romans 5:18; 1 John 3:16, John 3:16), and nothing he encounters in this life can change that love (Romans 8:39) or what Jesus has eternally secured for him (1 Peter 1:4). This understanding enabled Paul to boldly preach the gospel in hostile nations, even when he was kidnapped (Acts 21:27), arrested (Acts 21:33), flogged (Acts 16:22), and faced other perils (2 Corinthians 11:25-30). Despite his hardships, according to Romans 4:7-8, Paul is still considered a blessed man, even in the midst of persecution.
Lastly, as Paul writes to churches experiencing persecution and to Christians who are imprisoned, beaten, and even killed, he instructs them to rejoice (1 Thessalonians 5:16, Philippians 4:4; Philippians 3:1). And to us as well, this command applies because we have a hope that surpasses 20, 30, 50, or even 100 years of suffering. This hope promises eternal peace and joy (Romans 8:18). We have Christ! And no matter what we are going through, we are conquerors in Christ Jesus! Therefore, we should praise Him in every situation and circumstance because our praise shouldn’t depend on our circumstances. Praise is our lifestyle!
Please do not misunderstand me. I do believe that God is our shepherd (Psalm 23:1), and He is our provider (Philippians 4:19). Indeed, there are instances where God blessed Paul with material provisions (Philippians 4:10–20) and saved him from life-threatening situations (Acts 12:7–11). I have witnessed God miraculously providing for me in times of lack, and I have seen Him use challenging situations for my good. However, our hope must not rest in this world or in material possessions. We should not consider ourselves blessed or favored simply because of what we have or don’t have. While they can be considered blessings and are important, our eternal inheritance will always transcend our job, marital status, children, possessions, financial status, and even life itself. Yes, these things are significant, but what God has done for us in Christ will always surpass what we experience in this life. He has paid our debts and graciously forgiven our sins at no cost to us. Therefore, we are forever blessed!
And this revelation changed my perspective on my situation. When I had my car, I was blessed. When I lost my car, I was still blessed.
With a spouse, you are blessed. Similarly, without a spouse, you are blessed.
You have a job? You are blessed.
Are you waiting for a job? In Christ, you are still blessed!
I am blessed! You are blessed!
We are blessed!
“Siri, play ‘Blessed Anthem’ by Daniel Bentley”
- FYI, this song was the inspiration behind this post!
