Be A Blessing To Someone Today!
Proverbs 3:27 & 28 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
Throughout life you and I have no doubt come across another saint of God who you are almost afraid to ask “how are you doing?”. The reason being is we are afraid that they are going to tell us all their aches and pains, worries and woes. It seems some folks in life are in a perpetual state of living in the “valleys of life”. The devil is the master of deceit and lies and one of his best attacks is to get born again Christians, children of God who will never feel the fires of hell, to sulk around feeling sorry for themselves. They never stop to count their blessings or consider all the good and merciful things God has done and is doing in their lives.
Likewise, there are those who know they are blessed yet act as if they are not or as though they are far more deserving of increased blessings or due more than their fellow brother or sister in Christ. Only seeking more, while worrying and wondering why someone else seems to always be getting the blessings rather than them. This behavior or type of thinking can be remedied by doing as the son says “Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings see what God hath done. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your MANY blessings, see what God has done.” Making a continual habit of praising the Lord will also help with this kind of thinking.
There is a profound truth found within these verses in the book of proverbs. You see, oftentimes God entrusts us with a blessing in order to make us a blessing. The acronym for JOY is #1. Jesus- first and foremost in our lives. #2. Others- putting our brothers and sisters and those around us second only to Christ. #3. Yourself- putting yourself last. Psychologists have done many studies and discovered that people in America are most happy and joyful around Christmas time each year. This is not because they are excited and focused on what they will potentially receive, but because they are entirely focused on others and getting gifts for loved ones, neighbors, coworkers, friends, etc. Their thoughts dwell on the happiness and needs of others.
In Genesis 12:3 God told Abraham “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others around us. Many times he will give us a blessing just to pass it on to those he desires to receive it. Example; the Dead Sea is so named because of its high salt content, very little can survive in it. The reason for this is because many rivers and tributaries flow into the Dead Sea, but nothing flows out. Sadly, there are Christians and entire churches with this mindset. They absorb all the good that comes their way without sharing with anyone else. As a result they become like the Dead Sea, salty and bitter, never sharing or being a blessing in return or to others. As the verse says “withhold not good from them” . To the best of my recollection, I have never heard of a situation where someone decided to be a blessing and God punished them for it. I have however heard of the exact opposite happening several times.
The widow woman [1 Kings 17 ] had only enough meal and oil to make a small cake for herself and her son. Yet, when she obeyed the request of God on behalf of the prophet Elijah, she found that the meal and the oil continued to be there to feed her and her son until the famine passed. If you and I set out each day to be a blessing to at least one person we will find our woes and worries will fade and in their place we will find peace and joy. There is a great, old hymn that says “Out in the highways and byways of life, Many are weary and sad; Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife, Making the sorrowing glad. chrs: Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing. Out of my life may Jesus shine; Make me a blessing, O savior, I pray. Make me a blessing to someone today. Let’s be yielded to the Holy Spirit and ask him to make us a blessing to someone each and every day!