Don’t let your blessings block you on your purpose! Beware the Blessing Wall!

We sometimes forget that the Devil is a fallen angel. I think that he still has and wears that uniform.

Before you go further, my brain works a bit differently than most, so please take off the strict theologian hat for a moment and bear with me for a bit.

I think the problem we have in our culture is that we view the Devil as cartoonishly and obviously evil or menacing. Someone who seeks to destroy our lives and take away our peace. We view the Devil as the one who has “bad intentions” for us.

What if that were not the case?

We know of Job and his test. But here is a thought/question: What if it was the Devil that could provide you with that protective hedge and comfort? What if the “Devil” loved you?

A lot of people of faith ask the question: How do evil and selfish people live such great lives? Maybe this is the answer to that.

Sometimes the Devil does not bring you hardships but brings you everything you have ever wanted. That dream house, the big car, lots of money, the love of your life. And the Devil can bring you ALL of that exactly when you think you need it.

Which may look to you as an answered prayer. But is it?

For me: It was just that, I had and have a “good life”.

No Abuse
Both parents in the house
Private schools
No worries about money, food, or housing
Never went to jail
Knew all the powerful people in my community
Went to a great church (of which I am still a member)

So I wasn’t one of those typical black dudes.

People were always telling me that I had gifts I should use. But behind the blessing wall, I grew comfortable and was focused on just maintaining MY life and my blessings.

It was when my son became a teenager that I saw a problem with our young black men that was different that anything I could see before.

I could see that despite our talks about progress that essentially they were still marked by society for jail or worse.
I could see that they were STILL labeled as scary and therefore needed to be controlled.

Still, behind the blessing wall, I had questions:

Who was I and what could I do?
Why would young brothers who dealt with this all their life listen to me? I had no street cred.

All I was doing (behind my blessing wall) was complaining about how things were. But someone asked me this: What are you going to do about it?

It was only when I went through the loss of my sister and the emotional fall out threatened to destroy my blessing wall, my sanity, and my health that I got to see how much a blessing she was to so many people. It was then I started to ask:

Why can’t I do that?
Why can’t I make that difference for people?
Why am I not that kind of leader or person?

Short version, the answer I got back: Yes, you can and Yes, you are that type of leader.

And now

I have this blog going that I am committed to help and heal people.
I am a board member of an amazing organization
I am leading an initiative that will create the movement I said I wanted to create and we are doing things!

But, my blessing wall had to be threatened before I could see or do any of it.

My point: The blessing wall will block you from your purpose if you let it.

For me, if my life is to have any meaning or purpose, then I need to get this: My life itself is a blessing and therefore it is not and cannot just be for me. To rob the world of my purpose and my gifts is the ultimate in selfishness. Ultimately, I cannot take them with me, but I can use them to empower the next group coming so they are free to fulfill on their purpose.

The blessings from the Devil are designed for YOU ALONE and they are VERY comfortable and VERY fulfilling and VERY seductive. People will admire you for how well you have done, which is yet another seduction. Then you will be focusing on and expanding YOUR blessing only, chasing that empty praise and ignoring the signs that that your blessing will never be enough. Which may make you look like one of those selfish and evil people with the great life wondering why some people don’t like or trust you.

The blessing and calling from God are for everyone in his kingdom. Usually this is not easy, but you can be very comfortable (I am) and fulfill on his purpose and calling for you.