Let Others Bless You

A friend bought my lunch the other day. It’s a seemingly insignificant thing, but God used it to bring spiritual truth to my soul. You see, I argued with her for a minute. “No, I couldn’t let her do that. No, it wasn’t necessary.” But then I felt the tug of the Holy Spirit telling me, “Let her bless you.” So, I relented in my protests, surprising even myself that I didn’t put up much of a fight.

I’m sure you have had similar arguments with friends or family over who is paying the check at a restaurant. But is it a pattern for you? Do you struggle to accept help, compliments, acts of service, or gifts from others? I think I have struggled with this because I feel undeserving of others’ desire to bless me. It’s as if I need to do something to earn that blessing. The light of realization creeps over me as I realize that I don’t deserve the blessings God gives to me either. I definitely can do nothing to earn His blessings, yet He longs to bless me because He loves me.

God made an interesting promise to Abram (soon to be called Abraham) in Genesis 12:3. God told him, “I will bless those who bless you.” God was promising to send blessings to those who gave blessings. Hmmm. Perhaps if I refuse to let people bless me, I may be robbing them of a blessing from God. Maybe I need to think less about the awkwardness I may feel at receiving a blessing and more about the joy the other person may feel in giving it. Reflecting back on the times I have done something for someone out of sheer love for them, not expecting anything in return, I know that this is true. The joy of giving a gift to someone who is special to me far exceeds the joy of receiving a gift.

Jesus taught in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” I believe He meant several things by this statement. First, God looks upon a generous person with favor. Second, God will reward generous people. Proverbs 11:25 promises “A generous person will prosper.” Lastly, there is an intangible blessing we receive from our generosity that stems from the satisfaction of giving someone else a little “happy” for their day.

So, does that mean our obedience guarantees blessings? Welllll…not necessarily in the way we might think. I know plenty of people who dishonor God and are surrounded by material blessings. Psalm 49:16 says, “Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die.” I think about the disciples who left everything they owned to follow Jesus. They may not have had wealth, but they were experiencing the greater wealth of walking daily amidst the glorious presence of Almighty God!

Do I obey Jesus because I want a blessing? Or because I love Him wholeheartedly? Am I looking for what I can get from God, or am I devoted to Him even if I don’t see blessings of the particular kind that I have in mind? John Piper stated, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” One of my favorite bible teachers, Jennifer Rothschild, explains his quote by saying, “That means even if you don’t see a direct link between your obedience and God’s blessings, you are the most blessed because your soul is most satisfied.”

My soul is satisfied. I am blessed. And far be it from me to rob others of that same blessing. Let your friends bless you. You may be a conduit of God’s blessings to satisfy their souls. Jesus said it. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

*** More on this topic later…I have had several friends perform acts of service and love for me lately that I will tell more about in a future post! Friendship is also a cherished blessing!