A Reflection on Blessings
by LewisEphesians is a remarkable letter for many reasons, and as we begin thinking about it this Sunday we will be challenged as a church and inspired as individuals to grow up into Christ — even if we think we are pretty much grown up already!
The title of this week’s message is Every Blessing, and that is a phrase I first noticed as a closing on an e-mail I received from a friend and brother. I immediately liked it, and part of the reason was that it seemed somehow more sincere than the often used “Blessings.” But as I began to think about it I saw another dimension in the phrase that made me appreciate it even more.
Of course my initial understanding was that my friend was saying he wanted me to have every blessing, and that was nice. But the additional way I read it now comes from Ephesians 1.3, which in the NIV says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
Do you see it? The phrase Every Blessing is not just a prayer for someone to be blessed, it is a reminder that every blessing comes from God through Christ!
The story is told of a wealthy man who would always take the time to pick up a penny when he saw one on the street. He didn’t do it because he wanted the money, he did it because he could read on it “In God We Trust” and be reminded of the true source of his wealth. May we be reminded, too, of the source of…
Every Blessing,
Lewis