Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ…

– Ephesians 1:3 (VW)

Everyone who is truly born-again is blessed. It matters not what your earthly situation is, you already are blessed with every possible spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. These heavenly blessings far exceed anything we could imagine now, and once we get to heaven, it will take all of eternity to comprehend them.

But what about now? Are there earthly blessings awaiting us that we have not yet received? Well, yes, there are. But they’re probably not the kind that first comes to mind. Here’s what Jesus said about those who are blessed. How do you fit in?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are they who have been persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are you when they shall revile and persecute you, and shall say every evil word against you falsely because of Me. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for in this manner they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

– Matthew 5:2-11

Too many Christians want to be blessed with earthly benefits like good health, a decent income, and general happiness. Even though it may not seem like it, these are limited and shallow things compared to the blessings of being poor in spirit, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, or being persecuted as a follower of Jesus Christ. The blessing comes from the fact that God is closer to these kinds of people, which is better by far than any temporal benefits.

Do you fall into any of these categories? If you do, have you seen yourself as blessed and sincerely thanked God for it? If you don’t, do you think you could ask God to be blessed in these ways, knowing that even though Jesus would call you blessed, you wouldn’t see the full benefit until eternity?

Jesus also spoke about other blessed kinds of people:

• Blessed are those who help the needy, strangers, and prisoners (Matthew 25:34-40).
• Blessed are those who show hospitality to the poor and those with physical problems (Luke 14:13-14).
• Blessed are those who hear the word of God and do it (Luke 11:28).
• Blessed are those to whom Christ is supernaturally revealed by the Father (Matthew 16:17).
• Blessed are those who see Christ at work, and by it, prophecy fulfilled (Luke 10:23).
• Blessed are those who do what Jesus said (John 13:17).
• Blessed are those who do not stumble because of Christ (Matthew 11:6).
• Blessed are those who look for Christ’s return (Luke 12:37-38).
• Blessed are those who are found feeding the church of Christ when He comes (Matthew 24:45-46).
• And blessed are those who believe in Jesus without having seen Him (John 20:29).

How do you stack up? Would Jesus call you blessed?