Blessing God

 

 Blessed be God, the Creator of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, who grants us every spiritual blessing in these heavenly realms where we live in the Anointed—not because of anything we have done, but because of what God has done for us. Ephesians 1:3 (the Voice Translation)

I don’t remember ever being asked to memorize a Bible verse in Sunday School.  I was never quizzed on the books of the Bible.  I don’t recall being taught the Lord’s Prayer or the 23^rd Psalm, I think I just caught both by osmosis being in church over the years.  In some ways, the carefree life of coloring pictures of a smiling Jesus whilst eating animal crackers and sipping Hawaiian punch was pretty good.  But on the other side, it means that I missed learning some foundation and formational passages of Scripture.  For me, the above passage is worth memorizing OR writing down on a post-it note OR cross stitching into a pillow.  There is a beauty to these words that Paul wrote.  First, I love the idea of blessing God.  To be clear I don’t think God is waiting around with some check list looking at the clock mumbling and muttering, “Why hasn’t Wes blessed me yet, that ungrateful fool!”  Yet, in any relationship, including the one we have with the Divine, there is a reciprocity, our actions and words and ways of being matter and make a difference to God.  Just as other’s actions and words and ways impact you ~ because I know I can stew on someone’s words with the best of them ~ so too what I do or don’t do matters to God.  I don’t say this to heap on a huge helping of blame or shame.  God isn’t judging you like a figure skater at the Olympics.  Yet, you and I as humans can make choices that can bless God, others, and ourselves (all three matter).  How might you bless God today through prayer, through listening for God, through honoring God’s creation, others, and taking care of yourself?  Name and notice this.

Blessing God doesn’t give us turn-by-turn navigation, it is part of the way-less way, a direction to which we orientate our lives this day.  May these three words guide and ground you this day and week.  Amen.