Sunday School/Small Group

[Jethro Bodine]

hello Jethro Bodine, dirtfarmer here

If you look up blessed in the dictionary the meaning is holy, consecrated.

Here are the meanings of 'blessed' (#4 & #6 emboldened by me):

(from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/blessed)
adjective
1.
consecrated; sacred; holy; sanctified:
the Blessed Sacrament.
2.
worthy of adoration, reverence, or worship:
the Blessed Trinity.
3.
divinely or supremely favored; fortunate:
to be blessed with a strong, healthy body; blessed with an ability tofind friends.
4.
blissfully happy or contented.
5.
Roman Catholic Church. beatified.
6.
bringing happiness and thankfulness:
the blessed assurance of a steady income.
7.
Informal. damned:
I'm blessed if I know.
​

Vine's Dictionary also confirms the use of 'blessed' as 'to make happy': http://studybible.info/vines/Bless, Blessed, Blessedness, Blessing

 

[Edward]

Yes, but the goal is to have our soulish faculties controlled and motivated by the Spirit.
When I'm full of joy, or peace, I want it to be motivated by the Spirit, not just by pleasant external circumstances. And I know that's happening when there are no pleasant circumstances to be joyful or peaceful about, but I am anyway.

I agree, I've been accused of not caring because I wasn't stressing about money when...I probably should have been according to others anyway. Lol. SO we missed a due date, so what? life goes on, things will work out. We'll live through it and pay it later. And we did, lol. That was the Spirit. It had to be, because work was slow, but I had extra time on my hands, so I was reading scripture more and I kind of saw that as getting rich while I was getting poor(er)...LOL

 

[WIP]

But doesn't 'blessed' mean 'happy'?

I've heard this before but I can't understand why some believe this. For example, someone can be blessed and still have a miserable existence, can't they? We might ask for God's blessing on a meal. How would that make the meal happy when a meal is an inanimate object unable of feeling happiness?

So then, blessing does not always mean happy.

 

[dirtfarmer]

I've heard this before but I can't understand why some believe this. For example, someone can be blessed and still have a miserable existence, can't they? We might ask for God's blessing on a meal. How would that make the meal happy when a meal is an inanimate object unable of feeling happiness?

So then, blessing does not always mean happy.

hello WIP, dirtfarmer here

It is my understanding that only McDonald's make "happy meals", and even they should be blessed by a believer.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

I've heard this before but I can't understand why some believe this. For example, someone can be blessed and still have a miserable existence, can't they? We might ask for God's blessing on a meal. How would that make the meal happy when a meal is an inanimate object unable of feeling happiness?

So then, blessing does not always mean happy.

The word 'blessing' has several uses/definitions.
I threw out the 'happy is outer/ joy is inner' thinking years ago. It just didn't jibe with either the Bible or reality. I'm neither afraid, nor ashamed, to be happy in Christ, outwardly and inwardly, no matter the circumstances, even when things aren't going so great. That's the astonishing thing about being in Christ. I can be a totally different person today, with a totally different attitude and outlook, than I was yesterday even though my situation and circumstances are exactly what they were yesterday. Made me realize that it's not about the circumstances. It's about having Christ in your life.