What do you mean blessed?

When “good things” happen: the world attributes them to luck, hard work, self-effort, and/or good vibes, while some Christians will call it favor or being blessed by God.

I took luck out of my vocabulary a long time ago and replaced it with "God’s blessings" or "all the best." I’m finding it harder to voice certain usages of the word blessed, without analysis, because of the meaning we’ve attached to it. I feel like it may be used improperly; either too liberally or not enough.

Think about when you've heard or seen the following phrases and how they were used:

• Be blessed
• Bless you.
• God bless you
• God bless Country
• Blessings.
• I’m Blessed!
• You’re Blessed!
• Favor!

Notwithstanding that I am not the Judge, I get a check in my spirit when I hear people say

I got a new car – I’m blessed!
Favor ain’t fair!
I love my life, I’m blessed.

I internally question the usage.

So, if you:

a) Didn’t get a new car
b) Felt you should have been chosen and therefore were disfavored, or
c) didn’t love your life on a certain day or after a particular instance

Would you still feel that you were blessed?

According to Zondervan, being blessed is the ultimate well-being and distinctive spiritual joy of those who share in the salvation of the Kingdom of God.

Paul illustrates it best in Philippians 4.“I can abase, I can abound, but I do all things through Christ.”

If I’m blessed I’m always blessed; I do all things through Christ.