BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING
December 12, 2019
Prayer: My prayer for you is that you would act on the knowledge that you are blessed to be a blessing.
Scripture: So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. 1 Corinthians 14:12 NAS
Last week we discussed the “gift-giving season” and how your students may be preoccupied with making out their wish lists or letters to Santa over the book reports, final exams or group projects that are due before the holiday break. In the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas comes over summer break in many regions so the distraction does not exist. When decorations and gift catalogs come out, sometimes before Halloween is even put away, how difficult is it to keep their minds on their schoolwork? With all of the decorating, travel / visitor plans, gift buying, card writing, cookie baking, party planning, school programs etc, how hard is it for you to keep your focus at school?
As we continue to think about gifts, ponder the point that God gives us gifts for the benefit of His Church and Kingdom. We tend to put gifts on our wish list that we will find useful to us; things that we need or just plain want that we would not buy for ourselves but really wish someone would buy for us. Now my family, and maybe even a few church-family members have benefited plenty from that extra-large fryer that I received two years ago, but I do not think that is necessarily the point that God is trying to make here. Let’s look at a couple of other Scriptures to get a clearer picture.
2 Corinthians 9:8 -12 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed ; 9 as it is written, “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.” 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness ; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. NAS
1 Peter 4:10-11 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
So, as I understand these verses, God is telling us that we are blessed to be a blessing. In addition to blessing others, our gifts are also purposed to bring God glory and thanksgiving. We are to recognize Him as the giver of all gifts; resources, opportunities, and talents, knowing that He will multiply our efforts, multiply the results, and enrich us in the process as we minister to others and create an atmosphere of praise and thanks to Him.
I joked about my deep fryer earlier, but what could you ask for this year that would equip you to be a blessing to others? What could you do or give to someone that would multiply ministry and prompt praise? Does it necessarily have to cost you money, or is time and talent an amazing gift also? I have painted rooms, taken care of children, cleaned houses, wrapped gifts, and many other things that did not cost me a dime, only time. Imagine the impact of giving someone something that might also equip them to benefit another life. Can you name any of the presents you received last year? How about three years ago? But can you remember how it felt the last time you made a difference in someone else’s life? What would it mean to you to have a Merry Ministering Christmas?
Copyright Kathy Branzell. Email [email protected]
Blessed