Blessed to be a blessing

Date: Monday, May 26

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-9

Verse: I will make of you a great nation and will bless you. I will make your name respected, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, those who curse you I will curse; all the families of the earth will be blessed because of you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

When our church building was being constructed, I was involved in several conversations regarding conduit. As we dreamed about how the sanctuary might be used, thought about the great room, and even discussed the classrooms, we began to think of places where we might want to install screens, speakers, or other electronic equipment. To facilitate that growth, pipes called conduit were buried in the walls and floors through which wires can be fed much more easily when the time comes to add those components.

When I think about Abram’s call, it is clear to me God is calling him, and by extension us, to be conduit. God tells Abram that he and descendants will be blessed so they can then be a blessing to “all the families of the earth.” In other words, the blessing isn’t just for them, or just for us, to enjoy. Rather it is intended to be shared to make the world a better place for all people. As we sometimes say in our church, God’s blessing always comes to us on its way to someone else.

We are not to simply receive the blessing, and move on. The gifts we have been given were never intended to simply be to bless us, but rather that we might share them with our families, our friends, our community, our nation, and our world. We are called to treat others with the same love, joy, grace, and compassion we have received from Jesus. Jesus gave himself for us, and calls us to give ourselves for the sake of others. We have been blessed to be a blessing to others. We are blessed to be the conduit of God’s love.

Prayer: Show me, Lord Jesus, with whom you are calling me to share the blessing you have given me. Amen.

Action: Share the blessing by performing a random act of kindness in the day ahead.

Respond: When have the blessings you have received from God been used to bless someone else?

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