The Lord’s blessings addeth no sorrow

By Anne Anjao-Eboi

God-fearing people will often be heard saying they are blessed. We wish people blessings all the time and casually say, “Ubarikiwe” (be blessed), but have we the import of what the word really means?

People often think of blessings in terms of physical or material wellbeing. Some think that being blessed is when their children are doing well in school; when they have plenty of money stashed away in banks; when they have palatial homes and state-of-the-art cars; when they have achieved doctorates; when they enjoy good relationships; when they are healthy and many more.

Condition of heart

While it is true that the above are blessings from God, interesting enough, they don’t constitute The Blessing. The Blessing is the condition of the heart; the heart that stays truly yielded to God’s will and purposes. Who, therefore, does God call blessed?

a)     The poor in spirit: Before you think these words mean material poverty, wait. The poor in spirit are those who have recognised their need for God and realise they cannot do it on their own. They have seen the need for God in their lives. To such belongs the kingdom of heaven.

b)    Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness: Instead of engaging in financial wars of property acquisition, these ones have long seen that character is worth more than rubies. These ones pursue righteousness relentlessly, zealously, like a hungry lion chasing its prey. God will fill them with righteousness.

c)    Then we have the meek: Gentle as a lamb. Humble. In fact, they may be mistaken to be weak people. God has promised that such will inherit the earth: A blessing indeed.

d)    Those who mourn: Mourning does not mean crying for a dead relative or friend, but those who mourn when they realise their hearts are no good. They have sinned against the Almighty and, like Kind David, after his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, wore sackcloth and put on ashes while beseeching God to forgive them.

e)    Those who are merciful: They forgive easily and show mercy to countless people. To such, God offers them a blessing in the form of His mercy.

f)      The pure at heart: They never harbour evil. You will wrong them but they will never retaliate. Instead they will show you more kindness, as if nothing ever transpired in the first place. These ones will see God.

g)    The peacemakers: Nothing disrupts normal life than disturbances or war. Hence the peacemakers are promised the blessing of being called the children of God.

h)     The persecuted: These are those who will be beaten, abused and even killed, some in the most cruel manner, for their faith. God promises them the kingdom of heaven.

Check, my friend, if you qualify from the list above. If not, perhaps hard work has just begun for you do not want The Blessing to bypass you. That would be a costly error. Indeed, it addeth no sorrow.