Our journey toward BLESSEDNESS

It struck me the other day that there may be a significant difference
between "Blessed", pronounced "BLEST", and BLESSED, pronounced
more intentionally as "BLESS-sed"...

When we say, for example, "My, aren't we BLEST to live in this
great old house, on this beautiful street," and, "we're so BLEST
to have food and clothing in abundance," or even, "count your
Blessings", we mean the very good fortune that Providence has
granted to us... We intend, essentially, a call to Thankfulness or Gratitude...

But "BLESS-sed" may have a much higher meaning: Dictionary.com
defines "BLESS-sed", in the sense I am using it here, as

sacred; sanctified
worthy of reverence or worship
blissfully contented
beatified

Used as such, the word begins to describe Saints, both the
very few among us who are far along in their process of
Sanctification, as well as the Saintliness that will be
characteristic of all Christians when, in Glory, we are
finally and eternally perfected...

So then, to become "BLESS-sed" is both the End of
God's work in us, someday ("...He who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion..."), as well as the Goal to encourage us
as we are being changed in this journey through life ("...that your love
may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight...")...

As I meditate on this startling distinction, then, I begin to notice how
it helps me understand, in a whole new way, Jesus' famous exposition
on becoming BLESS-sed, in the "Beatitudes" of Mathew 5:

"BLESS-sed" keeping in mind this higher meaning
"are the" suffering through the Sanctification process
"for they will" experience Beatification if we persist

So it would seem that Jesus is holding up BLESS-sed-ness as
my ultimate "Soul state", to be desired above all else; He is also
pointing out that The Way to this state involves suffering in the present;
and he is very specific about the benefits of one day achieving this state...

This, then, is what I have to look forward to:

Possessing, in some sense, Christ's kingdom
Being (supremely) comforted
Inheriting (have passed down to me) the Earth
Filled with Righteousness
Being shown Mercy
Seeing God (!)
Being called a son of God
Again, possessing, in some sense, Christ's kingdom

Our pastor Ron preached a series on the Beatitudes not long ago;
THIS ONE, in particular, on Hungering and Thirsting for Righteousness,
was particularly profound to me...

I have been challenging myself to set my gaze on becoming BLESS-sed,
to finally, once and for all and forever, be made complete and then
to be welcomed into the presence of almighty God; and I continually
ask God's forgiveness for the many times -- often daily -- that my
attention is diverted to sinful, foolish, temporal things... Those times when
my current course is toward Wretchedness, the opposite of BLESS-sed.


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