Are you really blessed by God?

What are you doing right now that requires you to fully rely on God?

I was in my car early this morning and was spending some time being quiet. My life can become pretty noisy with a business, children and other things. I have to make time to be silent before God. Things around me can get so loud that I have difficulty hearing Him in my life, so I have to look for unique opportunities or be very intentional about finding time to do so.

I started thinking about how many of us claim to live a life in Christ and are quick to give Him credit for the blessings in our lives, but how many of us are actually doing things that force us to fully rely on God? How many of us are actually living the life we're claiming is the life abundant?

I consider myself a high-achiever, a self-starter and internally motivated. Those are ingredients that lead to success in many situations. In Christian circles, we try to sound super spiritual by saying that we're "blessed." But are we really trusting God to bless us or are we trusting ourselves and embracing an illusion of feeling blessed?

I don't want to minimize God being involved in the "little things" because I believe He is. However, I also don't want to shrink Him to my understanding and claim that everything that is taking place is an answer to prayer or a blessing. I think that kind of language becomes misleading and disingenuous. Seriously, is praying to God asking for a good deal on a car or a house respecting His power and majesty? Is getting hired an answer to prayer? Or could it be that you nailed the interview? Of course I believe that God has super-intended everything to work together intricately throughout the entire universe, but come on, did YOU get the job or did God supernaturally provide it for you? Do you get some kind of special advantage because you attend a traditional American church?

I see a lot of Christians talk about their active prayer life and are quick to give props to God for answering them because of all the good things in their life (but not the bad things, of course...they pray to get out of those things). Is that how prayer is supposed to work? The Bible is clear that we are to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), but I also believe we are to take responsibility for our lives. Are you taking time to listen to God or are you just telling him more of your ideas and problems? Does your prayer life look more like a wish list than it does a conversation with the Creator of the Universe? Are you doing more asking or more serving? Is it about you or about God? I think it's time to stop praying if that's what prayer is. Seriously, stop. And listen.

As I listened to God this morning, I sensed Him ask me what I am doing in my life that requires me to fully depend on Him? Would my life look any different right now without God in it? It's a scary evaluation, isn't it. I've been blessed (yes, blessed is used in the correct context here) to have been involved in the lives of many individuals who have crossed the line of faith; who were far from God and now experience a relationship with Him. You know what, though? I'm pretty persuasive. I'm a good talker and know how to get to the heart of people. So, is it me saving people or is it God? I'm not arrogant enough to take the credit, however, am I sharing my life the way God wants me to or am I doing it the way I want to? These are difficult questions to wrestle with and you most certainly won't find them being asked or answered in most churches today because often times they haven't made room for God, either.

The lead character in the story is God, not you. I think it's time to hear what He has to say instead of telling Him what you think. In doing so, will you find that you're living your life as a "Christian" completely free from God? Or are you fully relying on Him each and every moment? If no one has told you this yet, let me be the first: His plan is more important and sure than yours is.

Reality check:
In Matthew 5:3-12, Jesus says these are the ones who are blessed: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who thirst and hunger for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those persecuted for righteousness' sake. This is a stark contrast to the spiritually obese Christians in America who claim to be "blessed." Sorry if the Truth is offensive.