So, What Happened?

“What has happened to this blessedness of yours?” (Galatians 4:15 CSB)

Have you ever had days when it feels like your life is not as blessed as it once was? There may be a hopeful word for you from the example of the Galatian churches. Read on.

The churches of Galatia held a special place in Paul’s heart. He evidently got quite sick during the days he labored among them. His reference that they would have torn out their eyes and given them to him suggests that his illness had to do with his eyes. Whatever the malady, the point is that they enthusiastically ministered to him. Those early days were great times for the churches in Galatia, full of promise and potential, but that blessedness was no longer apparent. Thus, Paul’s question, “What has happened to this blessedness of yours?”

For the Galatian churches, the loss of blessedness came as the result of the introduction of false teachings about legalism that were strangling the life out of the church. We see a similar occurrence today in churches and in individuals. Someone starts out with great promise and potential, with some heady enthusiasm, but the introduction of some source of negative influence leads to the loss of blessedness, wellness, wholeness, and peace. It appears then that God is not blessing as He did previously. This influence can come from a variety of sources.

So, the real question here is: What can be done to restore blessedness?

The solution to this question is simple but not easy. We first need to identify the source of the negative influence and then correct it. Said another way, we have to reject the negative influences we find, turn completely around, and return to the point where we diverged from the path, so that we can then continue on the blessed journey. More simply put, we call this humility and repentance. These are the key items in the restoration of blessedness.

Father, We humble ourselves before You, and we bring before You any and all influences in our lives that may have caused us to veer from the path of blessedness. We return to the path, and we ask You for the restoration of full blessedness, for Your honor and glory. Amen.