The First blessing: How to be blessed!

How did God bless Adam and Eve?

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And God blessed them, and God said unto them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Gen 1:28

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If there was ever a man and woman who was truly blessed it was Adam and Eve!

Tell me about it - they had it all in Eden.

Truly they were blessed not just because God said it in Genesis 1:27-28 but because there was good evidence of it - they had everything fine-tuned to perfection.

The life of Adam and Eve shows the original intention of God for mankind and though man's sin led to a disengagement, the intentions of God never faded.

The lessons from the story at Eden and how God blessed him can still be applied into our lives with clear directions - remember that we are to labour to be blessed and NOT labour to be rich (Prov. 23:4-5). So let's answer the question, how did God bless Adam and Eve?

Be formed

The life Adam and Eve had was made by God - their mentality, the task they needed to perform was as approved by God. If they had music that music would be one that God approves and that will include their movies and entertainment. The whole essence of their lives was as formed by God - this is why there was no need for knowledge of Good and Evil - they had the knowledge of God.

Paul says it very audibly,

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Phil. 1:21

Paul's experience is an example of a formed life. Can we boldly say that the life we are living now was formed by our walk with God?

It is pertinent we ask ourselves if our career, marriage and daily decisions we take are a function of our walk with Christ - because only then can we say our lives are formed by Christ. And it is the God-formed-life that God blessed - God formed Adam in Gen 1:27 and blessed them in verse 28.

Be planted

It is one thing to be formed by God and another to be planted. Planting involves accepting God's intentions and making it your own. It is also about location and being where God wants you to be. It is about allowing the roots of your life to go deep into the will and intentions of God.

Adam and Eve were planted where God wanted them to be - at their duty post in the garden of Eden. In another case, Paul states his planted status as thus,

For if I [merely] preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am compelled [that is, absolutely obligated to do it]. Woe to me if I do not preach the good news [of salvation]! 1 Cor. 9:16

Are you where God wants you to be like Adam? And if you are, have you accepted it in totality allowing yourself to be spent like Paul! Selah!!!

Be instructed

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They that walk, walk with many. They that run, run with few. But those that fly, fly alone

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Though the above quote is true and everyone wants to fly, flying is complex and comes by following instructions and certain rules. In fact every pilot flies by instructions.

As one studies the lives of different men who were blessed by God, each of them were given specific instructions - Adam had to stay away from the forbidden tree (Gen 2:16-17), Noah was instructed to build an ark (Gen. 6:11-19), Elijah was told to call for famine for 3.5 years (1 Kgs 18:36), Abraham was asked to leave his fathers house (Gen 12:1) and the list continues. Even Jesus had to be instructed concerning the steps to take and the blessings kept flowing as He obeyed those instructions.

Imagine what God told the Israelites,

"If you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, and all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey .....” Deut. 28:1-2

The most important step in a man's life is in obedience to the instructions of God. It is obedience that ultimately brings God's blessings. Obedience is the litmus test that confirms we have been formed, planted and instructed. And ultimately the success of the christian life is not in riches but its in being at the centre of God's will for our lives through obedience.

Labour not to be rich, labour to be blessed! And the blessings will come once we are formed, planted and our obedient to his instructions.

Shalom!