MORE BLESSED June 11, 2020

When the people around you are disheartened because the new normal is promising that life as we knew it before will never happen again, you get affected a little too.  Sometimes I get tempted to think that maybe all these things (and protocols) would become the daily status quo, and the future, no matter how hard we try to get a semblance of peace and goodness, will always be bleak and dreary. 

But then, I realize that life hereafter need not be deprived of joy, for if we are truly Christians, we can rest assured that what our GOD said in His Word is true.  For example, we learn today in the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 15, that GOD is a god of hope; and the apostle declares that GOD’s people “...will be filled with joy and peace in believing, that you [we] may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (verse 13).

If many of our stranded OFWs can live for several days under the airport expressway, not caring whether they can eat or sleep properly, all in the hope that maybe there is a chance that there will be that one flight that will bring them home to their loved ones, how much more hope should we not hold on to, who struggle and brave the daily commute and toil all our waking hours in order to earn a living to feed our families and bring them happiness and encouragement?

It is time now that we choose more wisely what we feed our minds, whether these be fake news, titillating gossip, other people’s memes and senseless videos, or those things which will inform us truthfully, and empower and encourage us to work through our daily challenges.  For indeed, the things we need to compel us to rise up each day empowered and energized to live for good has already been written.  Verse 4 of the same chapter says, “For whatever things were written [especially in the Holy Word] before were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

We need not become superheroes who are courageous and strong, for real strength is neither physical nor something that is related to our abilities and qualifications, but it is a product of hope, and it does come from our intentions.  If we have been truly blessed, may we have the humility and patience not to put our interests first ahead of others, for verse 1 tells us, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.”  A truly strong person understands and is gracious enough to know when and where to speak and act properly, even if others fail to understand him and are loud and influential enough to voice their disagreements, biases and prejudices.

Neither does being blessed mean that a person always has what he needs and wants, is always smiling and perfectly healthy, is always on the go and on high energy.  But one who is more blessed is a person who shares and gives to those who need more, is content whatever the situation may be, is always at peace with himself, and has a clear conscience.  A truly blessed person is one who is daily filled with hope and peace, and one to whom “...the GOD of peace be with you [us] all. Amen.” (verse 33)