Taking Inventory: Understanding Your Spiritual Blessings
When we hear the word "blessed," it can mean so many different things depending on the context. Sometimes it's a genuine expression of gratitude, other times it's aspirational—speaking not from where we are, but where we hope to be. Yet the apostle Paul, writing from a Roman prison cell, offers us a radically different perspective on what it means to be blessed.
Imagine being chained to a guard, uncertain about your future, separated from the people you love, with no guarantee of your next meal. Most of us would struggle to find anything positive to say about our circumstances. But Paul's letter to the Ephesians overflows with joy about spiritual riches. Why? Because he understood a fundamental truth: being blessed has nothing to do with your circumstances and everything to do with your position in Christ.
The Spiritual Inventory
In Ephesians 1:3-14, Paul takes an inventory—not of material possessions, but of spiritual blessings. He declares that God "has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." Notice the tense: not "will bless" but "has blessed." Past tense. Already done. The blessings aren't coming; they're already here.
This is revolutionary. We often think blessings are something we need to earn through hard work, long prayers, or proving ourselves worthy. But Paul says the blessings are already ours. They're not about a new car, a bigger house, or a fatter bank account—though God can certainly provide those things. Paul is talking about spiritual blessings that are eternal, relational, and transformative.
These are the blessings that matter when the money runs out, when the job ends, when the doctor gives bad news, when life doesn't go according to plan. Our ancestors understood this deeply. They didn't have much in their pockets, but they had joy in their hearts. They couldn't own land, but they knew they had a home in glory. They couldn't vote, but they understood they were citizens of heaven.
Five Spiritual Blessings
Paul outlines exactly what these spiritual blessings are:
1. You Were Chosen
Before God spoke the first word of creation, before light existed, before stars were formed or oceans carved out, God was thinking about you. You are not an accident or a mistake. You were specifically, intentionally, purposefully chosen by God. Whatever label the world has placed on you doesn't matter—God has chosen you, and that settles it.
2. You Were Adopted
In the Roman world, adoption was a big deal. An adopted child received all the rights and benefits of a natural-born child, but there's more: their old debts were canceled and their old identity was erased. They got a new name, a new inheritance, and a new family.
That's what God did for us. You may have come from a broken home, but you've been adopted into God's family. You might have a painful past, but now you have a promising future as a child of God. This adoption isn't based on merit but on God's pleasure and purpose. God wanted you in His family not because you earned it, but because He loved you.
3. You Have Redemption
Redemption means you've been bought back. When something valuable was in bondage, someone had to pay a price to set it free. We were set for death and separation from God, but Jesus paid the price—not with silver or gold, but with His own blood on the cross.
If you've ever been in bondage to addiction, anger, anxiety, the opinions of others, or past mistakes, Jesus paid the price to set you free. The chains are broken. The door is open. You have been redeemed.
4. You Have Forgiveness
We all have things in our past we're not proud of. Words we wish we could take back, decisions we wish we could undo, relationships we wish we could repair. But God says, "I forgive you"—not because you deserve it, but because His grace is greater than your sin.
5. You've Been Lavished with Grace
God doesn't give grace in a little cup, letting it drip out drop by drop. He lavishes it on you. He pours it over you like a waterfall. He gives you wisdom to navigate life's challenges, to make difficult decisions, to understand His will.
The Responsibility of Blessing
Once you realize how blessed you are, you must deal with the responsibility that comes with those blessings. Every gift from God comes with an assignment. You're not just blessed so you can feel good about yourself—you're blessed to be a blessing to someone else.
If someone gives you a tool, they expect you to use it. If they give you a seed, they expect you to plant it. Spiritual blessings are no different. We don't own these blessings; we manage them. There's a difference between an owner and a steward. An owner can do whatever they want with something. A steward is responsible for taking care of something that belongs to somebody else.
Everything you have—your time, talent, money, influence, relationships, opportunities—belongs to God. You are the manager. One day, the Owner will ask: "What did you do with what I gave you?"
The Guarantee
Paul tells us we've been sealed with the Holy Spirit. In the ancient world, a king would seal a letter with his signet ring to prove authenticity and mark ownership. God has sealed you with His Spirit. That means you belong to Him. You're authentic. You're the real deal.
The Holy Spirit is also a guarantee of what's to come. Everything you have in Christ right now—the joy, peace, forgiveness, love—is just the beginning, just the down payment, just a preview. The fullness is coming. When you understand that, you can face today's troubles because tomorrow's blessings are guaranteed.
From Gratitude to Generosity
Gratitude produces generosity. When you're truly grateful for what God has done, you can't help but share it with others. God blessed you to be a blessing. He doesn't fill your cup so you can admire how full it is—He fills it so it can overflow into the lives of others.
The challenge is this: Have you been holding on too tight, living with a scarcity mindset when God has given you an abundance mentality? Have you been so focused on what you don't have that you've missed what you do have?
Take inventory. Count your blessings and see what God has done. Generosity isn't just about money—it's about time, love, forgiveness, encouragement, presence, and prayers. It's not just about what you have; it's about who you are. It's about recognizing that blessings flow through you, not just to you.
You are chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, and sealed. You have every spiritual blessing in Christ. The question is: What are you going to do with it?
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