What is a blessing?

I want to expand today on something that the Holy Spirit revealed to me this last weekend as I practiced the message before an empty room. I began a series on the concept of being blessed (it originated down in OK with Craig at Lifechurch.tv) and spent about the first half of the message just talking about what a blessing really is.

See, I think in today's Church culture there is a real misconception about what a blessing is. Talk to very many people and you'll find out that while we say we're blessed with health, good kids or a happy marriage, most truly consider God's blessing as having fallen on those with a new something... car, home, boat, RV, etc. In fact, most of our prayers could fall under the heading of, "give me this, please." God bless me with a new car, mine has a scratch, or a worn tire or a rip in the seat. God, I need a bigger house, bless me so that I can have an extra room for the new 1080i flat panel you just blessed me with.

I wonder if those things could be considered blessings at all! Here's what I think the Holy Spirit was speaking to me. We know that God's desire is for a stronger, closer, deeper relationship with us, His people, His children. So it would make sense that His leading in our lives, or His blessings in our lives should have the goal of drawing us closer to Him.

But it occurred to me that many times the "big" things I ask God to bless me with actually pull me AWAY from Him instead of drawing me closer and deeper into that relationship. The new car, house, boat, job... they take me away from worship, prayer... I don't need to trust God to get me to work, I've got a new car! I have this boat and the only time I can get use it is on Sundays, doesn't God frown on me having this expensive boat and then not using it? I have a new house and bigger payment so I have to work more... you see where this is all going, don't you?

I think this must be why the Bible says, consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds because the end result is spiritual maturity, a closer walk with God! When my car might break down on the way to work I pray hard all the way there! When I can't make my house payment I seek God's help and provision! When my job is more of a problem then a gift I spend time with God to work through it! But if I had everything I thought I needed, and have been asking God to bless me with, I wouldn't need Him anymore!

So the end result is this. Maybe the blessings we thought were from God, really came from Satan so that we might need God less. And maybe the things we thought were Satan trying to "keep us down" were really God trying to draw us closer! Maybe we ought to pray that our relationship with God grow instead of our bank account. Perhaps we should seek God as much as we seek "stuff FROM God." What if all Christians stopped praying for blessings and started praying for a closer walk, more workers for the field and an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with someone who is hurting?

I guess we might loose a few "Christians" if they realize God is not here to make us happy but to make us whole. That's alright, we'll let 'em go. Because I'll bet we could get a lot more accomplished for the Kingdom with fewer people sold out to God, then with a bunch of people who have simply sold out.