God Bless You

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Philippians 2:14-16

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” Philippians 2:1-5

"God bless you!"

Do you realize that someone doesn’t have to sneeze for you to say this… but when people DO say this, do you think they say this phrase out of habit, or do they actually mean to pronounce a blessing to those it is said to? Sadly, these days I think people say it automatically (if they even say it anymore) and don’t pause to consider that they are offering a blessing to those they say it to. Do you think its important to bless others in the wonderful name of the Lord? I DO! As children of God, we are part of the covenant of Abraham. It is God's desire to have a relationship with us and bless us. But, an important condition to the blessing promised to Abraham was that he would not only be blessed, but that he also would be a blessing until all the families of the earth are blessed. Genesis 12:1-2 says: "Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you: And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; so that you will be a blessing." Wow, stop and consider that for a moment…. God doesn’t bless your life so you can just sit back and hoard it all to yourself and be happy and content…. God blesses us so that we in turn can be a blessing to OTHERS! Whatever that may be for each of us, we need to be about the Father’s business, and that is to pass along His blessings! I love the verses for our devotion today from brother Paul to the churches in Colossae and Philippi. He was reminding the brethren to do EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord Jesus, without grumbling or questioning, and to allow our lights to SHINE in the world. One of the ways you can accomplish this is to bless others. Think about this for a moment: Are you a BLESSING to others, or a BURDEN? Do you help carry the difficult loads of others, or do you add to theirs with all the issues you have in your life? Do you demand attention so you can complain about all the trials you are facing, or do you in turn give attention to the needs of others and leave your burdens in God’s hands… I encourage you to learn to be a blessing and to practice the art of caring one another’s burdens so that no one has to walk their life road alone or to the point of exhaustion.

Once you see and appreciate all the blessings in your life, your gratitude for your own blessings will naturally inspire you to want to be a blessing to others. Being a blessing to others means that we find and make meaning in enriching the lives of others and putting the needs of others before our own. So, how can I start being a blessing to others today? Perhaps you could stop by someone’s house with a home cooked meal, or invite new people from your church over for dinner after morning worship, offer to provide transportation to someone who has difficulty in driving, send a handwritten card, or flowers to someone. Perhaps you could visit someone in the hospital. Laying in a hospital bed can be extremely discouraging, and having someone stop by to just say hi really blesses the person who may otherwise be alone for long periods of time. Ask if there’s anything they need done back at their home or for their family. Offer to pray with the person before you leave.

Open the door for someone particularly if they have their hands full. This is no longer done nowadays but its such a simple gesture of support and others will be blessed by your action.

Simply SMILE when you see people throughout your day. Don’t walk around with a sour expression on your face, look for ways to shine for Jesus and share the joy of the Lord with others. Smiling is contagious, and people usually will return a smile if they sense it is genuine. Remember to say “Thank you” whenever you can show appreciation for the efforts of others whether large or small. Bless those who curse you, find ways to love them in the name of Jesus.

Volunteer at your church or child’s school. I am sure that if you called the church office, there are many things that you could do to help others in ministry and bless them in the process. Buy food for street children or homeless people on the corners. We see them everyday. We can make today a different day by sharing with them our blessings.

There are many ways to bless others; it should come naturally to you just as the air you breathe in and out. Let the humility of Jesus lead you, and count others more significant than yourself, looking to the interests of others and have the mind of Christ in and through it all. This is how Jesus is glorified in your service; this is how He is able to reach His own hands out to the world… through YOU!

Find a way to BLESS someone today!
Shalom, sister Lahoma

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