Have you ever stopped to think about why God has brought certain blessings into your life? When we look at wisdom literature, we see some clues. Psalm 5:12 says, “Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” In Psalm 37:23-25, David says that the Lord will keep the steps of the righteous pure, adding that he has never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread. In the New Testament, Jesus teaches that those who leave their families to follow Him and the gospel will be blessed in this life, as well as the life to come (Mark 9:29-30). It seems pretty straightforward when we just look at verses like these that following God and serving Him will equal blessings. 

However, things are a bit more complex if we take a broader look at Scripture. For example, the righteous man, Job, also experienced the blessings of the Lord (Job 1:1-3), but we know that things did not stay that way. In the Mark passage cited above, Jesus adds that, along with the blessings for following him, persecutions will come. Some choose to focus on only the passages promising the good, overlooking those that address struggles and how to deal with them when they come our way. In the Beatitudes, Jesus had a lot to say about who the truly blessed are, and that category clearly represents those who struggle and the upside-down Kingdom of God (Matthew 5:3-10).

So how are we to interpret the blessings that we are given? Acts shows us examples both of blessing and of persecution with blessings in close proximity to one another. In Acts 5, the apostles met a great deal of opposition. It’s interesting to see the number of times when the human emotion of jealousy is cited as fueling it. The apostles were having a greater response to their message than the Jews. What they were teaching sounded like heresy to the Jews’ ears, but at the same time the Jews could not deny the miracles that were surrounding the message. Acts 4:16-17 shows their struggle as they ask “What are we going to do with these men? … Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it.” Acts 5:24 shows the exhaustion of the leading priests as they wondered when it would all end. As they struggled with the growing attention and numbers of people following Christ, Gamaliel warned the Sanhedrin that if the apostles’ actions were of God and the council members were to fight it, they might find themselves fighting against God Himself (5:39). 

In Acts 5, the apostles were arrested, but that very night they were rescued by an angel. They were given instructions in verse 20: “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!” What a blessing to no longer be in prison, but this blessing was not for them. This blessing was tied to a calling to spread the Good News. Shortly thereafter, Stephen, a man described as having faith and the Holy Spirit, performed miracles and signs (6:5, 8). However, the Jews arranged for false accusations to be made against him, and he was brought before the Sanhedrin. As he was on trial he had the opportunity to preach to the Jewish high council, and Jesus gave Stephen the blessing of seeing that He was with him. Stephen saw the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (7:55-56). Even in what should have been his darkest hour, God blessed Stephen, and Stephen turned that blessing into testimony.

We are often faced with misunderstandings about the proper role of blessings in our lives. However, we are not alone in this struggle. In Genesis 15, God made a covenant with Abram, and part of the covenant was the promised land. The Jews became focused on their privileged relationship with God, including the blessing of the land, but overlooked what the blessing meant to those around them. This strip of land was the route between the two superpowers of Egypt and Assyria. Their occupation of this area would give travelers the opportunity to see a different way of living. It gave them the opportunity to share about their faith and Yahweh their God.

When we experience blessing, we need to be thoughtful and prayerful about what God can, or intends, to do with that blessing. Does a blessing put us in a position to help others financially, with influence, or with time? What is the relationship of that blessing to the Kingdom? God pursues people relentlessly, and we need to open our eyes to see how our blessings align with the relentless pursuit of God to influence, help, and save those around us. Like the apostles, we too are to go and share the message of life!