Be Thou A Blessing

I was researching for an article last Monday when I stumbled a message I wrote and shared with friends on my mailing list in December 2011 - Be Thou A Blessing.

I read it over again and noted how appropriate it was for this season. While still pondering whether to share it again or not, my 15-year-old son came to me with a surprise request. He was trying to make a decision about which child to sponsor through Compassion International.

"How are you going to support this?" I asked him.

"From my pocket money"

Since I know how much his pocket money is and how much is required for the monthly contribution to support a child, I knew it would to be a sacrifice. But I was touched that he realized that he is blessed and he can be a blessing to another child.

That was what confirmed to me that it is appropriate to share this message again.

“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing” – Gen 12:2

What does it mean to be a blessing?

Be a blessing is an imperative and a demand God made of Abram. God promised to make him a great nation, to bless him and to make his name great so that he can in turn be a blessing—dispensing good to others. His obedience would bring great blessings.

Be thou a blessing—not just a subject or recipient of blessings but a medium, a channel or a conduit of blessings to others. It means our lives should be a blessing in every place we sojourn. It should make a difference and add value to the lives of others.

A dispenser of good gives out goodness to all. The life of God in us flowing out into the lives of other people.

To be a blessing means to be the one doing an act that blesses—promoting or contributing to the joy, happiness, well being and prosperity of others.

It is to act in a way that will cause others to benefit, to gain and to profit, and to bring improvement to the status of another.

It is to be a channel of joy to those who are around you.

Blessed to Bless

Personally, I have been a subject of God’s untold blessings just as Abraham. God promised him that He would bless him and He did. See Ex. 1:7 and Ps 107:38 – which are examples of God fulfilling His promise to bless Abraham.

The obligation of being a subject of the awesome blessings of God is to be a blessing.

But we must first recognize that in whatever estate in life we may be, we are blessed. Gratitude for the many blessings that we have received should naturally inspire us to be a blessing to others. We who have been given so much can do no less than our best to be a blessing to everyone we see and everyone we know.

The calling of God and His blessings upon our lives have a definite purpose, that is, for us to be used of God to be a blessing to others. Blessings always include the power to be a blessing.

Be a blessing is a command. It must be our overriding desire and motivation everyday of our lives. We ought to be a blessing to all the different people we are in relationship with – close or distant—indeed to everyone within our sphere of influence. We need to let them know we appreciate them and care about them not just by our words but also by our actions. Not just at Christmas time but at all times.

We have the Holy Spirit to guide us at each instance so that we know what to do to touch the lives of each person God brings into our lives for good. We can draw on His help through prayer and staying in His presence. The more of God I have in me, the more I am able to be a blessing to others.

Jesus Christ became the means of blessing to the world. He is the greatest blessing of the world. The greatest blessing anyone could ever hope to possess. We are blessed to have Jesus in our lives as Lord and Savior; He is the greatest blessing we can share with the world around us this season and through all seasons.

Here are some of the essential elements of being a blessing shared by Gray Smalley and John Trent in their book - The Blessing:

-          Providing meaningful touch: Jesus puts his arms around the children, he touched the people that came to him, and he touched the sick when he laid hands on them to heal them. People feel loved when we touch and embrace them. A hug, a handshake, or a touch can make a difference to someone.

-          Communicating warmth and offering words of encouragement: our words have an incredible power to build up and yet it can hurt and destroy relationships. When we speak words of kindness, words that uplift, words that praise and encourage others and words that show others we appreciate, love and care about them, we bless them with our words.

-          To be a blessing often requires commitment, a willingness to commit our time and invest our energy to see the blessing become a reality in the people’s lives. To be a blessing may call for personal sacrifice.

Just as Abraham stepped out by faith to embark on a journey without knowing where the Lord was leading him but he obeyed and trusted God, we can also step out by faith to be a blessing to others.

I wish you a Joyous Christmas celebrating Jesus and dispensing good to all.