The blessing is defined as approval or encouragement. To hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word; to invoke divine care for; to confer prosperity or happiness on; protect, preserve; endow, favor. In my mind, to bless is to transfer something that will be binding.
In the early Biblical societies, the blessing was connected with inheritances such as land and possessions. But the blessing also included the name, heritage, right of passage, and much more. It is an act of grace – being granted something that was not earned or deserved. It was also real and permanent. Joseph and the prodigal son are just two Biblical accounts of a father’s blessing.
When our two daughters were born, Joanne and I set a time apart to prayerfully bless them. We have since done this in writing, or verbally on our five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. They have been consecrated to the Lord. They are set apart to be used by God, and to be blessed by him. As a father, you are the bearer of this blessing. Your children need to hear the words. They need to understand their destiny. What a blessing says to them is monumental in terms of their worth.
In Matthew 3:17, it is recorded that the Father spoke a blessing on Jesus, his Son, at his baptism. In that verse we read, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”. Examine the blessing in this important scripture closely.
- It was spoken out loud
- It was directed (“this is”)
- It was personal (“my…Son”)
- It was affectionate (“beloved”)
- It was between a father and child
- It was distinct (“with whom I am well pleased”)
This blessing was also pronounced on Jesus before witnesses. For us earthly fathers, bestowing a blessing on our children says to them, “You are loved; you are accepted; you please me.” The simple yet profound message a father’s blessing imparts to a son or daughter is this: you are complete. You have what it takes, all that you are or will become is enough. You don’t have to perform to earn the blessing. It has been bestowed on you. No one can diminish it. Life cannot squeeze it away from you. You are loved; you are significant.
How many children, and adults, go through life thinking, wrongly, they are a lost cause? Maybe, unfortunately, they heard those exact words or much worse from their father. How devastating. They then fulfill this prophecy at every opportunity. And with every failure, the hole in their heart gets deeper. One of the richest passages in scripture that is the anecdote for this debilitating mindset is Psalm 139:14: “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well”. My soul knows it very well. Fathers, did you hear that? Can you just sense the overflowing of confidence in your children? For them to hear from you, their father, that they are awesome, complete, and capable means they will have the strength to survive – and thrive. Well, that’s what a father’s blessing does. Your words are shaping a person for life! What an ever-loving joy!