Be a Blessing
Wouldn’t you love to be a blessing to others?
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and it’s the heart desire of every Christian, right? To be used of the Lord to enrich and encourage the lives of others, to bless them and make them glad in Christ. And aren’t you glad that God wants to bless you? In Genesis Chapter 22, God says to Abraham, “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Look, God was inasmuch saying to Abraham, “The reason I am blessing you is so that you, in turn, can pass on the blessing to all nations. They will receive something through you and it is in this way you shall know my hand of favor is upon you.”
Well, friend, few of us are called to bless entire nations. But every one of us has a circle of family and friends. We all have neighbors and coworkers; we all know the people in our community: the check-out girl at the supermarket, the lady at the cleaners, our postman, the bank clerk people we see all the time. These are the people that God wants to bless through you. And here’s the deal: The surest evidence that the Lord’s hand of blessing is upon you is when others get blessed through you. When you encourage fainthearted believers, wounded friends, discouraged saints, curious unbelievers, or questioning onlookers, you can be sure you have God’s blessing. It happens when you point people to the Lord through your unwavering example, your small acts of kindness, your perseverance through trials, or your spirit of gentleness or gratitude.
Is the joy of your relationship with Jesus overflowing to those around you? Is their prayer life deepening because of time spent with you in prayer? Has their boldness in witnessing ratcheted up a notch because your witness rubs off on them? If so, God’s hand of blessing is upon you. To be blessed is to be pushed deeper, higher, and further into the heart of the Savior, so that His comfort and encouragement can be passed on to others. And friend, I’d like to help you give God’s blessing to people you know. I want to give you a beautiful booklet that includes my best drawings and paintings — it also includes a photo of how I draw and paint holding brushes between my teeth. Share it with a coworker; show it to your neighbor; leave it by the bedside of a friend in the hospital who needs encouragement. Tell these people that you have been encouraged by my story and you just want to pass it on. This art booklet will fascinate those to whom you give it, blessing them with a curiosity as to why this lady in the wheelchair smiles and paints such lovely pictures. You can get your free copy today at joniandfriends.org/radio, and while you’re there, watch a brief video I’ve posted showing me at my art easel and how I paint with my mouth. Again, it’s all there for you at joniandfriends.org/radio, because I want you to be blessed and to pass on the encouragement.
I’m asking the Lord today to keep prodding you to pass on God’s joy and encouragement to others. For when you do, you will have the assurance of God’s favor and blessing upon your heart. And remember, the greatest blessing God can ever bestow upon us is Jesus. Get to know Him, and the blessing which results will be something you just have to pass on. Hey, friend, at Joni and Friends we would like to pray for you, so share with us your thoughts and your prayer needs at joniandfriends.org.
© Joni and Friends
