"Oh ya, we're so blessed"

I just recently realized how much the phrase "Ya, we're so blessed here" really bugs me. It never seems to be used in full cognizance of what we are truly communicating. Usually this phrase is frequented in the context of conversation dealing with the less fortunate. The less fortunate in other countries, other walks of life, less fortunate situations. But think about it-by saying that "we are so blessed" because we are not where "they are", we are in essence saying that God has blessed us more than those others that are in poverty and less fortunate. No. This is not the case at all. That is not how our God works. He doesn't bless some people more than others because He feels like it. Some of the people in the worst poverty imaginable that have absolutely nothing from our point of view...those can be the most blessed out of all of us. They are blessed because they choose to make Christ their everything. It might even come easier for them, considering they do not have much to give up to begin with. Here we have such a intoxicating plethora of distractions that keep us from what really matters, this often makes it more difficult to give everything up to God. Surrender all to Him. Back to the blessing though. Jesus promises that we will experience the blessings of His fruit through His Spirit if we keep in step with His Spirit and with His Holy Word. God does not play favorites and when we assert that we are "so much more blessed" by where we live and what we have, we are simultaneously implying that God is favoring our circumstances with His blessings moreso than others. Once again, so unbiblical and inaccurate. The correct terminology, I believe, would be to say that we are PRIVILEDGED. We are so spoiled rotten, quite often to our disadvantage, to be in the midst of the lifestyles that we live in. We are NOT more blessed than others with less fortunate circumstances, we are priviledged and spoiled. Sometimes I have caught myself envying (holy envy of course) those whom most others would never see fit to envy. Those in other countries who have nothing but the bare necessities, if even those, these people have such an ample, uninterrupted opportunity to embrace nothing but Christ. I have found that the less I have, the less I have to hold on to...and that's a good feeling. It might also embellish this point to shed some light on the fact that so many of the people with LUXURIES OUT THE WAZOO are STILL not satisfied with what they have, so discontent with life. Then you look at the people in Africa, or anywhere else, who are struggling to survive, yet they are still so full of life and joyful in their place. We should be calling THOSE people blessed-because they truly are. We should strive to be like THEM. We are priviledged here...but we can be truly blessed to-if we choose to.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him."
Ephesians 1:3-4

This verse clearly states that blessings were made available to us anytime we choose to receive them, since before the foundation of the world. Circumstances fall on the back burner when it comes to blessings, even though the world tends to see these two as congruent. Circumstances=blessings, blessings=circumstances. That's what everyone seems to think isn't it. But scripture says the opposite-that's what I love about the Word. Always goes against the grain of this world. Thank God.

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe."
Ephesians 1:18-19

According to this verse, if you are a Christ follower (saint), you have an inheritance in Christ. We are heirs. Saint=inheritance=riches of His glory. It DOES NOT say you receive the riches of His glory through or by your circumstances. We just need our eyes enlightened by Him. Enlightened to SEE the blessings and riches that are ALREADY OURS because of Christ, through Christ, for Christ, and in Christ. The world's idea of riches is not Christs.