Show Notes
READ: EPHESIANS 1:3-14
We see the word blessed thrown around on the internet and t-shirts, but what does it really mean to be blessed?
By definition, bless is a verb. It’s an action someone takes to give something to someone else. I could just brag about my awesome family, my best friends, or my new shoes, but saying I’m “blessed” implies that someone, somehow, has given me these things.
So what do I expect to be true if I’m “blessed” by God? He has all the power in the universe, and He’s the true Owner of everything. As His kid, I know that He cares for me. Does that mean I’ll have wealth? Health? Loads of amazing friends? Success in my grades and test scores? Early acceptance into my dream school?
Not necessarily.
In Ephesians 1, Paul tells us that everyone who knows Jesus has been blessed beyond measure! But Paul also describes that these blessings are spiritual— and as it turns out, these are the best kinds of blessings (verse 3). Our heavenly Father loves us so much that He has made it possible for us to be united with Him through Jesus’s death on the cross; it gave Him great pleasure to purchase our freedom and adopt us into His family, pouring out His grace, kindness, wisdom, and understanding on us in abundance (verse 5-7).
And God has promised that—no matter what we face in life and no matter what happens in this world—a time will come when “he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ” (verse 10). And even now, He has blessed us with the Holy Spirit—His very own presence living inside us and guaranteeing His promise: that we will be resurrected, just like Jesus was, and we will live with Him forever in renewed creation (verses 13-14).
In the meantime, because I’m surrounded by ads and influencers, each promising me their own version of the American dream, it’s hard to see that what I already have in Jesus surpasses it all. But Jesus is eager to remind me of His goodness and turn my attention to the blessings I already have in Him— especially the greatest blessing, Himself. • Mandy Desilets
• Can you think of a time you felt like other people were more blessed than you? It’s easy to begin comparing our blessings to other people’s. Consider taking a moment to bring these feelings to Jesus, asking Him to remind you of the blessings He has given you.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NLT)
More from Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens
READ: JEREMIAH 1:1-9; 11:1-5; 1 TIMOTHY 4:12; 2 TIMOTHY 2:23-26
READ: MATTHEW 6:19-21; JOHN 3:16-17; 14:1-4; REVELATION 19:6-9; 21:1-5
READ: PSALM 139:1-4; ROMANS 5:6-8; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 We curate the caption and crop the distraction, Chasing the applause of a virtual reaction. We polish the exterior to hide the interior, Afraid that our true selves are somehow inferior. But in the quiet, when the screen goes black, We feel the heavy weight of the perfection we lack. See, Jesus didn’t come for your highlight reel, He came for the brokenness you try to conceal. No filter could cover the crimson cost of sin, So He opened His arms to let the rebels in. On the cross, He was exposed, stripped, and bruised, So the real you would never have to be refused. He was buried in the dark so you could walk in the light, Tearing the veil to make your future bright. The grave couldn’t hold Him, the stone rolled away, Giving you mercy that is new every day. You are not a brand, a post, or a trend, You are chosen, beloved, and called His friend. So drop the performance, let the pretense cease, And rest in the rhythm of His perfect peace. • Ty Scott King • Why do you think it’s sometimes easier to show people a curated version of ourselves rather than who we really are? What parts of yourself do you try to curate, edit, and hide away? • Jesus sees the unedited version of you, and He loves you so much that He died and rose again for you. How could this truth affect the way yo view your mistakes, flaws, or things you just don’t like about yourself? • Are there any areas of your life where you feel like you’re putting on a performance instead of trusting God’s grace? Consider spending some time in prayer, laying these things down at Jesus’s feet and asking Him to help you see yourself the way He sees you. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)