140. Blessings at home and work
Deuteronomy 28:3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
If you keep the commandments you will be blessed everywhere. You will be blessed in the city and in the field. Home life and play went on in the city; work was done in the country fields. In the modern world it is almost the opposite, but the principle is the same: you will be blessed at home or at work, at work or at play.
Playing with the family is a blessing. Leisure time is a blessing when spent in productive recreation. The strongest blessing most people crave is a blessing on their home and family life, on relaxing and playtime at home, on conversation with friends and family. A happy family life is a real blessing that seems to be getting rarer and rarer. Family strife and stress seems to be more and more common. Keeping the 4th and 6thcommandments is vital in regard to a blessed marriage and family life.
We also need the promised blessings on work, whatever the work is that we are called to do. First, we need to be blessed with a job. Second, we need to be blessed with earning enough money to live well. Third, we need a productive job that produces benefits for family and other people. Fourth, we need a satisfying job that fills life with purpose and meaning. The man is truly blessed who has all these things in his work. For this purpose we keep the 5th and 7thcommandments to honestly serve and enrich the lives of others.
Sin thwarts, hinders and frustrates the blessings of city and field, home and work. Thus we are diligent in daily repentance and in the daily reception and enjoyment of forgiveness by faith in the Gospel. The Lord does promise blessings when sin gets out of the way. Living a blessed life is the normal way to live; it does not come naturally, but it comes supernaturally, since every good and perfect gift comes from above. Ask for the blessings, ask forgiveness, enjoy the blessings, and thank God for a wonderful life.