If you want to increase your level of gratitude, a habit that has incredible spiritual and emotional benefits, check out some research I recently did on everything the Bible has to say about being blessed. There are 389 passages in the Scriptures that use words like blessed or blessing, and in the Old Testament, God’s good gifts are almost always physical blessings.
One of the first examples from the first page of the Bible reads, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number.’” And a few pages later, “Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him” (Genesis 1:28; 26:12). A new baby or a successful business are both, according to God, blessings, and you are so blessed when you count your own blessings, connecting everything good to a generous God.
When we think about being blessed, we often start from a perfect life and subtract all the good things we don’t have. Instead, God wants us to start from nothing and notice every good thing that we do have. Even if you have a car payment, you have a car. Even if exams are coming up, you have a good education. Even if your husband left his socks on the floor (again), you are blessed with a husband. Even if your wife is mad about your hamper-less socks, you have a wife!
Every good gift from God is a blessing. Count them all today, and you will soon count yourself as someone who is truly blessed.
