Blessed

James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Blessings in the Bible suggest an intimate relationship between God and ourselves. One in which God brings joy, happiness, and peacefulness to our lives. To be blessed by God is often thought to be "in the favor of God" and thus having good things happen in our lives. Having a good job, a wonderful loving spouse, and great children, as well as having good health, are all thought to be Blessings from God! However, to be truly Blessed means a self-contained happiness, independent of all our external circumstances. One could be suffering from unemployment, be lonely, be mentally exhausted, or be suffering from pain and loss, but still have a strong and enduring relationship with God. God's greatest blessing is for each of us to be truly happy internally because of our relationship with him. I honestly can't say I'm quite there yet. I'm a work in progress and hopefully in time myself and all Christians eventually get there. Patrick Harrison #blessed #adventword