A few years after I became a Christian, I started attending a church where the pastor would often say, “God wants to bless us more than we want to be blessed.” My mind told me that this couldn’t possibly be true. After all, who doesn’t want to be blessed? Yet somewhere in my heart, I had a sneaking suspicion that perhaps it was true.
God’s willingness to bless can make the recipient feel vulnerable, inadequate, or incompetent. Some would rather toughen up and act like they don’t need God. Or they’d rather God bless them just a little bit, enough to have an easy life, but not so much that it makes them feel uncomfortable. But that’s not how God works.
God’s blessings caused Peter to be afraid
Jesus says to Peter, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish” (Luke 5:4). The resulting catch is so large that it nearly sinks two boats (v. 7). Peter’s response to God’s blessing is to say, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (v. 8). Then Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid.” God’s blessing caused Peter to feel fearful. His blessings can do the same to us.
We would rather God bless us for our hard work or faithfulness. We expect God to be pleased when we’re doing something for him. These are things we can control. However, God blesses or rewards us for seeking him, whether we seek him for the first time or seek him for a deeper level of intimacy. “Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). It’s easy to become comfortable with our level of spirituality and grow dull to God’s prompting to continue to seek him.
What good reason could there possibly be for not seeking a loving God who wants to bless us?
Surprisingly, there are a couple of reasons:
1st reason: A good God who wants to bless us also wants us to grow spiritually
God wants us to grow spiritually so we can experience more of his love, joy, and peace. He wants us to give up our ways of finding comfort and security and trust his ways. God wants us to surrender our independent self, that part of us that likes to do things our way. That part of us that is comfortable with the way things are, that doesn’t want to be challenged or taken outside our comfort zone.
God knows we’ll be happiest when we are the best versions of ourselves. The anxious and fearful versions cannot sustain God’s joy, so God will do whatever it takes to make us suitable receptacles.
2nd Reason—A good God who wants to bless also wants us to represent him well
Do we continue to seek God’s blessings when we’re doing well enough without them?
One of God’s purposes in blessing his people is to show others what a blessing it is to belong to God. “Everyone will realize that they are a people the LORD has blessed” (Isaiah 61:9 NLT). If we don’t continually seek God’s blessing, we deprive our world of knowing how good it is to live God’s ways.
Moses knew there ought to be something different about God’s people. In the wilderness, Moses says to God, “For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth” (Exodus 33:16 NLT).
Indeed, the presence of God sets us apart. Moses knew it wasn’t outward observances of rituals, being law-abiding citizens, or even helping people in need. The thing that sets us apart is the presence of God radiating from our lives as Jesus lives his life through us.
It ought to be apparent to others that we have a supernatural source of power. A power that causes our words and actions to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, caring, virtuous, loyal, gentle, and self-controlled (Galatians 5:22–23).
The blessings of God come to those who have an open heart and open hands to receive them. I pray you will encounter him in new ways as you respond to his invitation to bless you.
If you would like to learn more about God’s blessings, check out my new book,10 Blessings of God You Won’t Want to Miss.
Links from my blogging friends who have also written about God’s blessings:
Blessings in Good Times and Bad by Nola Lorraine
Lingering with a Lime Tart by Steph Penny
The Best Blessing of all – The Cross by Virginie Wright
Hi Susan – Congratulations on the publication of your book. I’m so glad to see that it’s now out in the world and will bless many people.
I’ve been challenged lately about desiring more of God. If you want His blessings, you have to be prepared for Him to change you. I was reading a book on the Holy Spirit recently that reminded me how we are meant to be diligently seeking God and desiring his spiritual gifts. It’s reassuring but also challenging.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Nola, getting my book published took way longer than I ever expected, but I think it’s a better book because of the lessons I learnt along the way.
Yes, God’s desire to bless is both reassuring and challenging! Thanks for dropping by.
Hi Susan, thanks for reminding us that God loves us so much that he wants to give us good things—how cool is that! Congrats on your book also, the cover is beautiful and I hope it does really well.
Thanks Steph.
It’s always amazing to me that God loves us so much.
I hadn’t considered several of those points before. Thank you for sharing them.
You’re welcome! Thanks, Dienece, for dropping by.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for reminding us of the most important thing God wants. He wants us to have intimacy with Him, to get to know Him. His blessings are not always what we expect but they are always given to us so we grow in our relationship with Him.
So good to read.
All the best for your new book. It is such a joy to finally see what you had in your head all along being now a reality in your hands.
Virginia
Thanks, Virginia, for your thoughts. Yes indeed, God always wants us to grow in our relationship with him.
It still feels a little strange to have the book in my hand after having it in my head for so long!