A Question Answered.....

Today while on facebook a friend of mine posed the question, Why should I strive for righteousness when one's needs can be met and receive blessings while in sin? So I pose this question to myself tonight. It was a good discussion and I enjoyed commenting and seeing what everyone had to say about it. Now her reasoning for posing the question was she has a lot of friends who don't serve God, go to church and pay tithes etc. and they are happy, healthy and their needs are being met. Their bills are paid and they have everything they need.

There are 2 approaches I would like to take with this. The first is what a blessing and the second are we just satisfied with having just our needs met.

According to dictionary.com the definition of a blessing is :

noun
1. the act or words of a person who blesses.
2. a special favor, mercy, or benefit: the blessings of liberty.
3. a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.
4. the invoking of God's favor upon a person: The son was denied his father's blessing.
5. praise; devotion; worship, esp. grace said before a meal: The children took turns reciting the blessing.
6. approval or good wishes: The proposed law had the blessing of the governor.

Not one of these definitions says that a blessing is having your needs met or bills paid, a blessing would be more than having your needs met. Proverbs 10:22 says The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. Then came the question what is rich. When most people think about riches they think about money, jewels, gold and the like. However that is wealth and not rich. Some of the most wealthy people are the most unhappy. Sure they can pay all their bills, they can travel and even pay for the best of medicines to cure any illness. The dictionary defines rich as having wealth or great possessions; abundantly supplied with resources, means, or funds; wealthy: a rich man; a rich nation. That is how the world defines rich but how does God define rich? One of the Bible Dictionaries defines rich as Full of valuable achievements or works. So it doesn't always mean money or things of monetary value. If a blessing is a gift, praise devotion worship than how could any of these add any sorrow to our lives. Let's say tomorrow you get a call and you are offered a job make at 6 figure salary a high 6 figure salary. In order to take this job you would have to move to another country. You would be on call 7 days a week 24 hours a day would this job be a blessing for you? Would this job add any sorrow to your life as you know it right now? Is this something that you obtained on your own or was it truly sent by God. I know a blessing when I see one I will tell you about me for instance. About 3 years ago I started getting very bad headaches they would totally dilapidated me. I would throw up and I could not function. I ended up having to leave work to go out on disability and I was so upset because I had only been at that job for about 4 or 5 months and I loved it. I later lost the job because of instead of my health getting better it only got worse. I later found out that I had a aneurysm that could not be removed. I was diagnosed with a few other illnesses and have been out of work since. Does this sound like a blessing surely not I had lost everything my job, my life I could no longer do the things I was used to doing because of my health. How could I possibly see a blessing in this. I later found out that I had to have 2 brain surgeries. Me thinking in my own mind I was so prepared for them to cut my head open. When the time came I was surprised to find out that they were going in through my groin less invasive, no physical therapy needed or anything. Now for most they wouldn't constitute that as a blessing but for me it truly was. See the other surgery they were going to do was much more risky and had a whole lot more recovery time than what I had. I have been through some highs and lows with my health but in this God has given me a house where I can pay my bills and still have money left over. God has given me all the furnishings for the house free of charge. God has given me a supportive man who stood by me through all of this and married me after my health had gotten worse instead of better. God has given me everything that I need pertaining to life and Godliness. Now how can I say God gave me anything, because to this day that same job that I worked on for 4 months still pays me. Everything that He has given me hasn't caused me any trouble and it has truly been a benefit in my life. No I can't afford to go on a yearly vacation I may not even be able to buy the things that I always want but I am happy truly happy and there is not a price you can put on true happiness. When I decide o go against His word to go against His will that is when things begin to fall apart because I know better. Hebrew 6:4-6 says 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away,[b] to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. So they would have to have tasted from the Lord and seen He was good to truly be a sinner. Gods word says in Proverbs 10:6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. Saying that God blesses sinners you must first believe in God's principles and standards. You must affiliate yourself with God in some come of way. As my Pastor always says when you know better you do better. When you deliberately go against the word of God you are then a sinner. So back to the question at hand you should strive for righteousness because you know God you know what He's done for you and where He has brought you from. You know what your consequence is if you choose to go back to living in sin. Having our needs met is OK but are we living the life that Jesus died for us to live. John 10:9-11 (New King James Version)says 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. Your job is not to sell God but to spread the good news of His word. I pray that this has helped you and enlightened you God did us grace but He didn't give it for His children to stay there..... May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, The love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.