What Does It Mean to Be Blessed in Christ?
A Deeper Reflection
This reflection continues the thoughts I shared inI Am Blessed—Not Because Everything Is Perfect.
←Read the short reflection first
What Does “Blessed in Christ” Really Mean?
When I read Ephesians 1:3, one phrase especially stands out to me:
“...who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
It's easy to associate the word blessed with the things we can see.
A comfortable home. A successful career. Good health. Financial provision. Travel. Family milestones. Answered prayers.
I am grateful for those things. But they can also change.
Circumstances change. Careers change. Children grow up. Plans don't always happen the way we expect. There are seasons of abundance and seasons when life feels uncertain.
That's why Ephesians 1:3 means so much to me.
Paul doesn't begin by pointing to everything going well around us. He points us toward what we have in Christ. Grace. Forgiveness. A relationship with God. His presence. His promises. Hope that reaches beyond our circumstances.
Those are blessings that a difficult season cannot simply take away.
When Circumstances Change
This doesn't mean Christians won't experience disappointment, grief, uncertainty, or hardship.
Faith doesn't promise us a life without difficult seasons.
What it gives us is something steady to hold onto through those seasons.
There will be days when I feel incredibly blessed because I can clearly see God's goodness around me.
But there may also be days when I don't understand what God is doing.
My circumstances may look different.
My identity in Christ does not.
And that helps me understand why I can still say “I am blessed” even when life isn't going exactly the way I hoped.
Blessed to Be a Blessing
There's another part of blessing that I don't want to miss.
What if the blessings God gives us aren't meant to stop with us?
We may not all have the same resources, talents, opportunities, or influence, but each of us has something we can offer.
Maybe it's our time.
Maybe it's preparing a meal for someone.
Maybe it's encouraging a friend who's struggling, helping a family member, sharing something we've learned, giving generously, or simply being present when someone needs us.
We don't need a large platform to make a difference.
One public example that has encouraged me is Tim Tebow. What I appreciate isn't simply that he speaks openly about his Christian faith, but that he has also used his platform to serve others.
Through the Tim Tebow Foundation, that faith is expressed through work serving vulnerable people and bringing faith, hope, and love to people facing difficult circumstances.
His platform may reach millions.
Ours may reach one person sitting across the table.
Both can matter.
What Has God Placed in My Hands?
Maybe the better question isn't only:
“How has God blessed me?”
Maybe I should also ask:
“What has God placed in my hands, and how can I use it to bless someone else?”
A talent.
A home.
A meal.
An encouraging word.
An experience that might help someone walking through something I've already experienced.
Sometimes the opportunity to bless someone else may look very ordinary.
But ordinary acts of love, generosity, encouragement, and kindness can leave footprints too.
A Deeper Footprint of Faith
The more I think about what it means to be blessed, the less I want to measure blessing by how perfect my circumstances appear.
I want to recognize what I already have in Christ, remain grateful for the earthly blessings God allows me to enjoy, and hold them with open hands.
Because perhaps one of the greatest ways to show gratitude for a blessing is to allow that blessing to flow through us to someone else.
So this is the question I'm leaving with myself—and with you:
What has God placed in your hands today that could become a blessing in someone else's life? ❤️
