Reclaiming the power of blessing

Ask people about “blessings” and it’s likely the first thing they’ll talk about is a prayer around the dinner table. Yet, one of the things you can’t escape is the rich biblical tradition of blessings. Maybe it’s the blessing of a Father to a Son, a prophet to a King, or even God to His people. Ours is a day where blessings are in short supply. In a world of cynicism and skepticism, we are experts at seeing what is wrong. Listen to a political debate or even read the comments on an internet post and it’s clear that we have learned the art of being overly critical. To make matters worse, our churches often get a reputation for being some of the most critical places around. Yet they are the spring from which blessings are supposed to flow into a broken world. So how do we rediscover blessing? Perhaps we must begin by identifying what we are talking about. So, we must ask, 

What exactly is a blessing? 

The word “blessing” in Latin is made up of two words meaning to speak kindly of someone. As a result, we often equate blessing with a compliment but are these two words one and the same? Even more to the point as a follower of Jesus, is there a such a thing as a distinctive “Christian” blessing? As I’ve wrestled with these two questions, I’m coming to a fuller understanding of what I mean by “blessing.”

As to the first question, the great temptation would be to equate blessings and compliments as one and the same. Yet, the more, I read the pages of Scripture the more that I realize they are two very different things. While both are realities that are spoken, they differ in three main realms – content, purpose, and parties. 

For me, one of the primary differences between a compliment and blessing is that a compliment affirms some external characteristic – a job well done, beauty, or success. Blessings, on the other hand, speak to something much deeper. They affirm both the character of God and the character of the person. Compliments aim at celebrating tasks; blessings are directed at affirming the presence of God in a person. 

Let me give you a practical example of what I mean. Let’s say that my son comes home with a high grade on a paper. A compliment would be, “Good job buddy – you got an A.” A blessing, on the other hand, calls out a characteristic of Jesus. “Buddy, I see the faithfulness of Jesus in the way that you worked hard to study. I’m sure he’s delighting not just in the grade but the way that you demonstrate integrity.” Did you notice that the blessing is so much more than celebrating success? It’s about calling out the unique work that God is doing in each person.

Compliments and blessings also differ in their purpose. Compliments affirm the work that has already been done, blessings often call out a reality that will shape our trajectory. Theologians and psychologists alike have all noted the creative power that a blessing can bring. Literally, the course of a life can be changed by the power of a blessing. I’ve experienced this in men and women who have affirmed my calling to ministry. They have not only spoken on competency in the pastoral task but have blessed me by calling out the shepherding heart that they saw. The effect was that it took on a creative force – something within was called out and incarnated in the person. Something that demonstrates that the power of blessings flows in from somewhere deeper than the parties involved. Blessings find their origin in another. 

While compliments can unilaterally be bestowed by the one complimenting, there is a sacredness to blessing. It’s a humble recognition that all blessing first and foremost finds its origin in God himself. Even at his first interaction with humanity when he formed her from a lump of dirt, one of his first actions was to “bless.” In this sense, blessing is merely a calling out of the work and presence of Jesus in the life of a person. Blessing often doesn’t create something that wasn’t there previously but rather incarnates the reality of the work of God in the life of a person. 

Recently, I had the experience of being deeply blessed by some dear brothers. As each man had his turn to be blessed each man would say, “I see Christ in you when…” Far more than a compliment, these men spoke into the core of who I am. In a time when I struggled to hope what is true, these men were the mouthpiece of Jesus to restore my hope and life. In this sense, a blessing is a three-way conversation. It is speaking with one ear on the person and one ear on God. The blessing I speak is merely an echo of the divine truth that has been spoken over every life. 

With these principles in mind, I would define blessing as…

“a calling out of the unique and personal work God is doing in the life of a person.”

In this sense, we don’t “give” blessings we “bestow” them. They aren’t ours to manufacture, but oftentimes, they are a sacred privilege for us to bestow. 

So, what does that look like? That’s where we’ll pick up in our next post.