Blessings must be shared

They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn[c] will be lifted high in honour. The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste

away; the longings of the wicked will come to

nothing.

What do you think when you ask people ‘how are you?’ and their response is, ‘I’m blessed!’

Usually when they respond in this optimistic manner, they mean that God has blessed them abundantly – that they have all they want or need materially, that they are happy and that all is well with them. It’s the religious equivalent of “I’m all right, Jack!”

This, however, is putting things ‘the wrong way around’.

Rather, it is a clarion call to us to share our blessings with others. As Minister Larry Miller of Bahamas Faith Ministries told me once, “Your blessings are not for you alone! They are to be shared!”

This is the message of the meditation on the scripture reading today in ‘Christ in our home’, a resource of the Lutheran Church. I share it with you in the hope that you will always remember to bless others when you receive a blessing from the Lord, whether it be material, moral or spiritual.

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. (v.1)

You don’t have to be wealthy to be rich. Let me tell you about Sister Jane. Although she took a vow of poverty upon entering her religious order, she is one of the richest individuals I know. Her riches can’t be quantified with a calculator. After all, how do you measure joy, mercy, faithfulness, and grace? They aren’t stored in bank vaults; rather, they are shared with those in need and exhibited in daily acts of justice and compassion.

If you were to ask Sister Jane why she does what she does, I imagine she would say something like, “I’ve been so blessed, and I pray I can be a blessing to others. That’s what we do, isn’t it? Loved people love people.”

Psalm 112 describes the truth that Sister Jane lives each day. There are blessings that come with faithful living – blessings to be shared with others. As we grow in faith, we begin to see blessings that had been unnoticed, but were there all along. As we realise our blessings, we can delight in being a blessing to others. Blessed to be a blessing; as people of faith, that’s what we do, isn’t it?

We praise you, O God, from whom all blessings flow, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Blessings must be shared!