Is "It" a Blessing or a Hindrance?

How many times have we felt the high of "Jesus’ blessing" in our lives in some way? It could be financial, health, relational or material; the list could go on and on. We can ride this "high" for a while, but then it turns to something different. We may lose our dependency on God in the very area of our lives that we are “blessed” in and take that “blessing” for granted. What I am getting at here is that any worldly affluence that we have in an area of our lives, could be a hindrance in our walk with Jesus Christ because we don’t acknowledge or rely on Him in that area any more. So in essence, is it actually a "blessing" from God?

This is a paradox that we may wrestle with in our lives. This is something that Bible reveals about the nation of Israel in the Bible, who often went through the repentance → blessing → judgement cycle with God. Why is it that the more we are “blessed”, the less likely we are to rely and acknowledge our God for His provision in our lives? Rather than drawing closer to Him, we become distracted and fall away from trusting and depending on Him as a result.

Is our “blessing” actually a hindrance to our relationship with Jesus Christ? Could we be relying more on our resources (e.g. monetary, intellectual etc...) rather than a 100% faith, reliance and allegiance to our God?

And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART,AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH,AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.”

Luke 10:25-28

I believe the answer can be established in our relationship with Jesus Christ and the truth in Scripture, which gives us revelation on His character and who He truly is. When we walk and talk with Jesus and read Scripture, we get to know more about Him as we draw into a closer and deeper relationship with Him. From this, our priorities will start to align with His in every area of our lives.

Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.

John 5:19-20

“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

John 5:30

These verses can expose something important in our lives concerning what we may think is a "blessing" from God, when in fact, may be quite the opposite. Ask yourself these questions:

• Is the "blessing" in my life out my own initiative or God’s?
• Is it of my own will or God's to be blessed or affluent in an area of my life?
• Is "it" hindering my relationship with Him?

This may explain why it may be easy not to rely on God in an area of your life because what you thought was a "blessing" is indeed a distraction.

Jesus is a good example to us on how we should live and receive the true blessings of God.

This paradox that we go through may come down to the battle between the revelation of Jesus Christ versus or own reasoning of what we believe is for our own good..

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve decided to live out their own reasoning (the tree of knowledge of good and evil) than having daily communion with God (the Tree of Life). The daily flow of God’s revelation to them was exchanged for their (man’s) own reasoning.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 3:5-7

seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

2 Peter 1:3

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

Isaiah 11:2

Blessing can be perceived through the lens our own rational thoughts or it can come from the revelation that the Holy Spirit gives us. It is very important to discern between the two.

Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

1 Corinthians 8:1

I believe it is important to know where the true blessings of God comes from. Anything other than this often comes out of our own reasoning which may bring us under a false perception of blessing that further separates us from God. That which comes through the revelation of Jesus Christ, is a true blessing and ultimately brings us closer to Him.

Here are some examples of the carnal/false blessings (idols) reasoned by man, but can be refuted in Scripture:

• wealth
• theology
• intellectualism
• psychology
• great church programs
• eloquence
• reasoning
• laws

The Bible speaks of something different and true, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ:

• revelation
• character building
• discernment
• the leading of the Holy Spirit
• the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit working in you
• a walk of faith and love

We may be putting our own ways in place of God's and acknowledging the glory of our affluence to man instead of Him. This is actually an example of idolatry. Jesus Christ who is reserved for us, is the true example of what it means to be truly blessed. In Jesus Christ, we understand what the true definition of blessing is. We may try to reason and acknowledge our perceived successes and accept the accolades of man to stroke our own egos, but it means nothing unless Jesus Christ says,"Well done, good and faithful servant!"

Jesus gave out as much blessing as He received from the Father; therefore, by His grace it only makes sense for us to do the same by receiving His blessing and following His example.