Artistes' latest buzz -"I am BLESSED"

"I am blessed" is probably one of the most used and abused phrases today. Nowadays everyone is blessed: The Christians, the drug man, delinquents, child molesters, thieves and the list goes on.

Indeed, quite a number of local and regional artistes have picked up on this accommodating expression in song. Signal Band has a wonderful composition about 'blessings' where they go on to highlight some of the things that they identify as blessings. Just being alive, having food to eat, breathing fresh air, enjoying good health are all things we overlook but many mistakenly refer to money and all sorts of material wealth as blessings, no matter how ill-gotten.

It is worthy to note that Satan or Lucifer was a fine musician before he was banished from heaven and so he knows how to manipulate music and use its power and influence particularly on young minds to achieve desired goals. If you notice that even artistes who live contrary to the teaching of the Creator or live lives in praise of other gods give praise compositions give thanks and praise whom they don't otherwise acknowledge. Well most times this is done so as to capture a certain market. The gospel market is now a lucrative one and many artistes just see these compositions as a business venture to up sales and not necessarily to win souls. Politically correct utterances from their mouths but nothing from their hearts.

Therefore, it is no uncommon today for secular artistes to have one or two songs on their albums or produced singles to target Christian or God-fearing audiences for the purpose of increasing sales and expanding their fan base. Unwittingly, they become pawns in Lucifer's thrust to win souls with a sort of god-like cover. So these artistes record songs that are void of any impact in their own lives, save for the popularity derived from concerts sales.

Buju Bantan, for instance, is so blessed in one of his latest popular tracks that he follows up this utterance by bestowing the 'f' word on those who are trying to interfere with those blessings. And of course these persons referenced, will also tell you they are blessed. Logic suggests that blessings will not be able to exist side-by-side with curses and so, sadly, such a divine and powerful word has been reduced to a fad.

One would think that a blessing is bestowed when one finds favour with God and man via works done or the lives they live. It is not by merely saying 'I am blessed' that one is, other than the obvious that they are alive. Grace and mercy is being extended to us from day-to-day and we probably misinterpret this to be blessings or perhaps we just say it without any thought, because, after all, it's the 'in thing' to say.

For instance, you can't just have wronged someone and respond to another's greetings with 'I am blessed'. Are you saying that God, the Almighty, whoever you perceive Him to be, bestowed a blessing upon you for this unkind act? I think not. Instead He continues to extend His mercies to us, even when we do wrong and this is what we mistakenly referred to as blessings.

I am concerned that we are cheapening this word 'blessing or blessed' when really it is a divine act on those deserving. When your grandparent, mother or someone blesses you, while they are the ones uttering the words really is the Lord that sends those blessings. He did tell his disciples that they will have the power to bless and curse and the reason for this is because they would be filled with the spirit. That's why an evil person can't bless you and one who does evil deeds are mistaken when they say 'I am blessed'.

Sometimes things are going your way and you are having a good day, week or achieving great success and it may be as a result of grace extended to your or yes, a blessing, or reward for perseverance or good work, certainly not for something bad. In such a context we can be blessed or highly favored. However, the creator does not 'highly favour' any individual engaged in wrong doings.

Blessing is the gift of God's grace: In the Old Testament, it refers to a bestowal of good, especially that which is material, not like this which is accumulated by the drug man but rather that which Job was blessed with. It is well documented by Biblical scholars: the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. That's where the blessings come from.

I think it's my duty, first as a Christian and then a writer on the arts to admonish all composers and writers to be cautious with their use of the word "blessed" in their compositions and give it true meaning by your action and life, and not let it be a mere catch phrase or callous utterance. I trust you were blessed.