Blessed and Highly Favored

Blessed and highly favored! This catchy phrase has become extremely popular among today's "people of faith." "How are you doing today?" "Oh, I'm blessed and highly favored!" There have been books written about it (How to Be Blessed and Highly Favored, by Michelle Mckinney Hammond), in California, a ministry wears the name (Blessed & Highly Favored Ministries, Covina, California), and many TV evangelists base their philosophy of ministry on helping their listeners come to believe that they are blessed and highly favored of God because He has promised them health and wealth. But is this truly the revelation of the gospel? Does Christ actually reveal to us that we are blessed and highly favored?

The only time the word "favored" or "highly favored" appears in the New Testament is when it refers to God's selection of Mary as the human who would birth the incarnate Christ into our world. So, if you have been also selected for such an honor it would seem that you, too, as was she, are blessed and highly favored.

The New Testament does reveal to us that those who belong to our Lord Jesus Christ are indeed blessed. Our understanding of this truth, however, depends on our locus: if we are in and of the world, then we understand this truth to mean that our blessings are in and of the world. If we are in and of Christ, we understand this truth to mean that our blessings are Spiritual blessings, godly blessings in heavenly places.

We are indeed blessed. Those of us who are devoid of will and lack a strong sense of self (poor in spirit) are indeed blessed (Matthew 5:3). Those who have lost much that was dear to them (who morn), who are submissive and lack initiative (meek), who think themselves unrighteous and crave the righteousness of Christ, who are merciful, pure in heart, seekers of peace, insulted and persecuted for the cause of Christ, these are indeed blessed. Those are blessed who use the resources of which they are stewards to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and comfort strangers and the imprisoned (Matthew 25:34f).

The accumulation of wealth and the presence of health is no indication of the favor of God. There are many healthy, wealthy heathens. We are favored of God in that He has chosen to redeem us to Himself, free us from sin, and allow us to suffer in His service, the service of working to take His truth to the whole world. "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him..." (Phil 1:29_30).

To be "blessed and highly favored" does not mean the same thing to God as it seems to mean to many of us. God's truth cannot be defined using the principles of this world. Those who have lowered themselves and sacrificed all for the welfare of others hold the highest place of favor in the eyes of God: "Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." (Luke 9:23_24). "Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35). They are blessed and highly favored who serve Him and His created, even when it means suffering, not those who extravagantly bask in the material comforts of this world.