To be a Blessing

Genesis 12:1-3

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.  "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Psalm 67

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, "Selah"  That your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

Why does God choose to bless us? And how should we express thankfulness for His blessings? Is it just by our words or is a heart of thanksgiving also dictated by our actions? These were just some of the questions I was pondering as I read some verses from Genesis12. Although this particular passage of Scripture was a promise from God to Abraham about the Messiah one day being born through his seed, God was also showing me that He blesses His children so that they can be a blessing to others.

As I thought about this, I then began to think about Psalm 67, where the Psalmist is asking the Lord to bless His people so that His ways would be known on the earth, His salvation among the nations. As I sat there and meditated on these two verses, I then began to think about how the Lord had blessed me. I have been blessed with a healthy and beautiful family, I have been blessed with a Godly and beautiful wife, I have been blessed with friends who love me, I have been blessed financially (compared to the rest of the world), and most importantly, I have received the spiritual blessings that can only be found in Christ (joy in the midst of trials, love in the midst of being wronged, hope in the life everlasting).

But why? Why does God choose to bless me? And why does He choose to bless me in so many ways? It's not because of anything that I've done. I'm a sinner. Apart from Christ, I have nothing to offer God. All of my works are useless chaff. And He doesn't bless me in certain ways because He loves me more than someone else. He loves everyone the same. So, why does He bless me? Why?

I believe that part of the answer lies in the above verses. He blesses me so that I can be a blessing. He blesses me so that His name may be great among all the peoples of the earth. He blesses me so that His salvation can be known by many. He blesses me so that I can be a blessing to others. He blesses me in the ways He has blessed me, both spiritually and physically, so that I can fulfill His purposes to those He wants me to reach. Too many times, I feel like I fail in this endeavor, but I press on knowing that His strength is perfected in my weakness and knowing that despite my flaws, He still wants to bless others through me.

What about you? How and why has God blessed you? How would He have you use these blessings to bless others?