Everything in life has a purpose. We would do well to give more thought to these purposes. We are often forced to think about the purpose of adversity, but rarely do we consider the purpose of blessing. Why are God’s people to seek blessing? Is this an encouragement to selfishness?
Both testaments give a unified response to these questions. God’s people are not wrong to seek blessings when they seek them in the hope that their being blessed will contribute to evangelism and therefore to the glory of God.
Resulting in outreach and praise
Blessings on His people are expected to result in praise.
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” (1-2; see also Gen 12:2-3 and Dt 4:5-8)
We see this connection between blessing on God’s people, outreach, and further praise in Isaiah as well.
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isa 60:1-3).
It is also seen in the New Testament.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:2-4)
Praise for his wise judgement
All the nations are expected to praise God for his judgement and guidance.
“Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth” (3-4).
Praise for material blessings
Material blessings are expected to result in praise.
” Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us” (5-6).
The New Testament uses some form of the word “thanks” 70 times. Here is one example, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1Thess 5:18). Clearly it is God’s will that we be thankful people. We are to recognise what we have as coming from God and give thanks. Blessing is supposed to result in praise and awe (7). Where it does not, one would expect that the blessings will eventually be removed.
When blessing is asked for selfishly, we ought never to expect that it will be given. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3).
If our desire is that God be praised, then we must face the fact that sometimes trials may lead us to a place where we will be better able to praise him. So, while we are encouraged to ask for blessings, we should not expect life to be one continuous unbroken stream of what we want.
God shall bless us. But the end goal of those blessings is that he be praised in all the earth (7). Are we receiving his blessings in such a way as to accomplish that goal?