We are entering a season of blessing here at GoMix Christian Radio. Share-A-Thon has always been a season where loyal listeners generously contribute to keep their local GoMixstation on the air. We will be hearing from thousands of listeners who will bless us with their sacrificial contributions of support.
However, may I ask, when someone describes the way in which they are “blessed”,does it ever bother you just a little? Not that it is wrong to be thankful for your resources, but sometimes when I hear people talk about how God has blessed them with an expensive house, a luxury car, or a fortune in money; it just makes me a little uncomfortable. It’s not that I think those things are inherently bad, but I believe these things more often than not fall into the category of Divine appropriationsrather than Divine blessings. Appropriations are not a bad thing, but they are just not the same as blessings.
You see, being blessed is not about accumulating things. No one is blessed just to be blessed. Being blessed was never intended to be the consummation of the event. Instead, being blessed is about God saying “I am giving you a valuable tool…now use it to help others and to advance the kingdom.” Of course, houses, cars, and wealth can be used to bless others, but that is usually not the way we look at them. We are blessed so we can serve others and glorify God. Therefore, all the wonderful things we possess that we do not use to glorify God, are not really blessings in the most literal sense of the word. Rather than being blessings; they are trophies of acquisitions we have claimed for our own benefit. So it may be good to take inventory and determine how much of what we have is a Divine appropriation and how much is a Divine blessing. Let’s look at what it means to live a life of blessing.
First, it means to embrace a ministry of giving.We all know some people are givers while others are takers. Givers are usually generous and look for ways to bless others while takers are typically looking for opportunities to obtain something for their own benefit. Now, that doesn’t mean it is wrong to receive things, but there must be an understanding that when we receive favor of any kind, we are receiving grace. It is given by God as a gift, and we have a choice to make as to what category the gift is to be placed; blessing or acquisition. We can collect the trophy and use it only for our own benefit, or we can decide to say thank you to God by looking for opportunities to use the resource as a blessing for others. This way, we compound the blessing because blessing others brings blessings back to me.
“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.”
Ecclesiastes 11:1
The first place to look might be toward the people or institutions God has used to bless you.You might consider those who have been a special blessing in your life. Then determine if perhaps our Lord might be leading you to be a special blessing to back them. If so, you can seek His guidance in how best to accomplish this mission. He may use your talents, spiritual gifts, words of encouragement, or material resources. All these things can be instruments of blessing. Of course, during this season of the year we ask folks to consider supporting GoMix.But, if you choose not to do so, then I encourage you to look for someone, or some other ministry, or some worthy organization to bless.
You might think of men of God who have influenced your life and given you guidance.Being a conduit of God’s grace to faithful ministries that have been a blessing to you is far better than locking yourself away and polishing up your trophies. Being a good steward is about our whole lives, not just money. It’s about the way we respond to the grace we’ve been given. It’s about choosing to let our light shine, instead of hiding it under a bushel.
If you allow Him to do so, God can use your life and every blessing in it to do something extraordinary. You have a chanceto be a blessing, but you also have a choiceto be a blessing, because being blessed does not mean you have won. Being blessed means you are up at bat, and you get to choose whether or not to take a swing.
You Can Be A Blessing With Your Words! Of course, sharing tangible assets is not the only way to be a blessing. Words can also be a priceless gift. Yet, they can also inflict a lot of hurt. Proverbs testifies:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
Proverbs 18:21
It is easy to express words of praise and admiration for some people. However, there are others that require deeper digging to discover something that might be praiseworthy. Could it be that our Lord wants to use you to help turn someone’s life around by something as simple as a word fitly spoken? Can God use us to point out the value in someone that they may not even realize they possess? That should be our challenge; to look for opportunities to build others up, not tear them down. So as you have opportunity, bless others with your words.
You Can Be A Blessing With Your Assets. Although showing our love and concern for someone by our words can be a good thing, sometimes it is not enough. It could be that action is required. Our carnal minds can always think of reasons why we ought not to share, or why certain individuals are not worthy of being blessed. However, I challenge you to consider the fact that there may be someone whose needed blessing is locked up in you. They need something God may have already given you in abundance. They linger in want, waiting for you to unleash something God has place in your trust for the benefit of the kingdom. It is hard to imagine what would happen if every Christian accepted this challenge; if everyone decided undertake a ministry of enriching the lives of others. Consider the poor and destitute that could be reached. Think of how churches could increase their outreach if every member would tithe. Just imagine how quickly the goals of our Share-A-Thon would be reached if every listener did their part.
At age 12, Robert Louis Stevenson was looking out into the dark from his upstairs window. He was watching a man light the streetlamps down below. His governess came into the room and asked what he was doing. He replied, “I am watching a man cut holes in the darkness.”Do you know that’s exactly what God calls us to do? He calls us to cut holes in the darkness of our world, letting the light of Christ shine through.
We can do this as individuals. Is there something God wants you to do? Is there someone God wants you to bless? Like Esther, perhaps you are in a specific place to be a blessing for someone else.
We can do this as families. Perhaps God may give you are larger project that you can take on as a family.
We can do this through our church, or perhaps through groups in our church. Maybe the men might be led into a project. Perhaps the ladies might be called to do something to bless someone. It might be as simple as some of our young people accepting the challenge to enrich someone’s life. The point is, God has given each of us some special abilities or resources which we are to use in helping others.
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
I Peter 4:10
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”
Hebrews 6:10
In closing, I would like to share this prayer from Sir Francis Drake, an English sea captain who lived during the 16th Century:
“Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have all come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new Earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love.”
I have taken Drake’s words as the title of this challenge. Disturb us Lord, that during this season of blessing we might determine to be an instrument of blessing to someone else. A faithful conduit of God’s blessings that are ready to be, or perhaps already have been, bestowed upon us.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into this world to die on the cross for our sins. Three days later He rose again, and now He offers eternal life to anyone who believes in Him. Jesus Christ is the source of every blessing, and it is only in Him that people find life! So, one thing we can all do to be a blessing to others, more than anything, we can share Christ with them.
May each of us dare to be disturbed; disturbed enough to distribute to a needy world the overflow of grace God has given unto us.
Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry over forty years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries.