Blessed To Be A Blessing
To be a blessing, we must recognize that we are blessed to bless others. This profound truth is often overlooked in our fast-paced lives, but it carries immense significance. Imagine starting each day with the conviction that you are indeed blessed. Not just blessed, but extremely blessed. For many of us, the simple act of sitting in a comfortable chair, free from the constraints of a hospital bed or prison cell, is a testament to our blessings. And if you can sit in a place of worship without fear of persecution, that, too, is a blessing. These are the fundamental blessings—the ones that form the foundation of our lives. But today, we’ll dig deeper into the concept of blessing and the remarkable power it holds. Let’s start with a verse that serves as a guiding light for those seeking success and a life filled with purpose.
Romans 12:14 beckons us to "bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." Yes, even our enemies are not exempt from the power of our blessings. It might be challenging to grasp at first, but it's a concept worth pondering. We are called not only to bless those who bless us but also those who stand against us.
This verse reminds us that we have a choice. We can choose to be blessers or cursers, and there's no neutral ground in between.
Choose Your Words
The Power of Life and Death Are In the Tongue
The Power of Words: Proverbs 18:21
Proverbs 18:21 reinforces the importance of our words, declaring that "the power of life and death are in the tongue." There's no middle ground here; every word we utter either blesses or curses. Our words either add to someone's life or they diminish it. They either uplift or tear down, encourage, or discourage. The responsibility lies with us to choose our words carefully. It's not a new concept; we often hear, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Holding our tongues can be wise advice because if you don't say it, they can't hold it against you.
The Negative Aspects of Cursing
To better understand the power of blessings, we must first explore the negative aspects of cursing. Cursing, in this context, means using speech to release negative, supernatural power into someone's life, especially when we hold a position of authority. Our words, as leaders or influencers, have direct access to others' hearts. God emphasizes guarding our hearts, so we must be cautious about what we speak over others.
Parents, in particular, hold a significant responsibility in this regard. When you call your child derogatory names or shame them, you're not just attacking their self-esteem; you're attacking their future and potential. It's akin to putting them in an emotional and even physical prison. Remember those news stories about children being locked up in cages? Using hurtful words can have a similar effect. Furthermore, when you use your words to criticize, complain, or gossip about others, you're cursing them. Your words carry power, and they can either build up or tear down those around you.
The Positive Aspects of Blessing
Now, let's shift our focus to the positive aspects of blessing. Blessing someone means releasing the positive, supernatural power of God through spoken words into their life. It's the ability to bring healing, joy, peace, and encouragement through your words. You can lift people out of their metaphorical prisons or pits with the words you choose to speak. Think about it; it's just as easy to speak life as it is to speak death into someone's life. Being kind, considerate, and uplifting requires no more effort than being toxic and hurtful. Your words can be a powerful force for good in someone's life.
The Origin of Blessing: Genesis
The concept of being blessed to be a blessing traces its roots back to the book of Genesis, the beginning of everything. In Genesis 1:28, after creating Adam and Eve, God blessed them and instructed them to be fruitful and multiply. This demonstrates that God's blessings are not accidental but intentional. He is a Father who blesses His children. The blessing isn't based on our deserving it or our good works; it's a reflection of God's nature. In Numbers 6:24, we see another powerful blessing: "The Lord bless you and keep you..." These words illustrate God speaking a blessing over our lives, emphasizing the importance of receiving His blessings.
Cooperating with Blessings
While we desire God's blessings, we often unknowingly hinder them. There are ways we sabotage our own blessings, such as harboring a covetous spirit. This selfish and greedy mindset obstructs the flow of blessings. Just as in the story of Achan, who disobeyed God by taking forbidden spoils, covetousness can lead us to hoard blessings for ourselves, blocking the intended flow of blessings to others.
To truly embrace the concept of being blessed to be a blessing, we must rid ourselves of covetousness and selfishness. We must understand that God's blessings are meant to flow through us into the lives of others. We should aspire to reach a point where our overflow becomes a source of blessing for those around us.
Embracing the Blessing
Every one of you is blessed. In fact, you're not only blessed, but you are extremely blessed. Do you realize that if you make more than $7 a day, you’re among the top earners in the world? You're blessed. The fact that you're able to sit here and not be in a hospital, or prison for some of you, determines that you are blessed. If you're able to sit in a church and hear the gospel without the fear of being persecuted, you're blessed. Romans 12:14 says, “Bless those who persecute you and do not curse.” So even our enemies, we're blessed to bless our enemies. I'm going to let you think about that for just a moment. That may take a little bit of grace to get your mind around that. We are called even to bless our enemies. Now this verse says that you can either be a person who blesses, or you can be a person who curses.
We’re familiar with Proverbs 18:21, but let's not let our familiarity with it cause us not to focus on it. It says the power of life and death are in the tongue. The power of life and death are in the words that you speak. Now, the first thing to notice about this verse is that there's no in-between area. There's no neutral ground. There's no middle of the road. There's no fence setting. And he's saying that whatever comes out of your mouth is either going to be a blessing or it's going to be a curse. Whatever comes out of your mouth is either going to add to someone or take away from someone. It's either going to be life or it's going to be death and the choice is yours. In other words, what you're saying is, you're either helping someone or you're hurting them. You're either being an encourager or you're going to be a discourager. You're either building them up or you're tearing them down. Think about that for just a moment. I mean, it kind of gives new meaning to the phrase that if you can't say anything nice, just don't say anything at all, right? Here's one thing I learned a long time ago - if you don't say it, they can't hold it against you. Amen, that's always good advice, right? Now, let's look at the negative aspect of this verse. What does it mean to curse? To curse is a supernatural power released by speech from someone in authority into the life of another. So anytime you hold a position of authority, it can be a pastor, a teacher, a parent, a leader of any sort - anytime you hold a position of authority, you have to understand that you have access to someone's ear. And the reason that is important is because the ear gives access to the heart. The ear is a gateway to the heart. And whenever you speak to someone, especially if you are in a position of authority, it's not just going into their head, it's not just words, but it's going into their heart. And God said so many things about guarding your heart. So as a leader, we need to understand we don't want to just say anything over someone else. Anyone you have influence over, or you use that influence in a negative manner, then you are cursing that person.
The Words You Speak Over Your Children Are Powerful
Let me talk to moms and dads, because oftentimes we know this but we forget and we don't understand how powerful our words are in the lives of our children and in our family. When you call your child stupid, idiot, moron, goofball, screw-up, or any variation of those phrases, you're cursing them and their future. When you call them names like fatty, ugly, sissy. Or when you say things to them like “you can't do anything right” you're cursing them. When you shame them, you are attacking their future and their potential. In fact, really what you're doing is you're putting them both in an emotional and in a physical prison. Now think about this, when we see something on the news and we see it far too often, where some parent has abused their child by chaining them down, chaining them up, locking them in a cage, or locking them in a room, and we think, man, how horrible is that? And yet, when we use our words to attack our children, we're kind of putting them in some sort of a bondage. When you shame your kid, insult them, and embarrass them, they don't hate you, they hate themselves. Think about that for just a moment. So my point is, again, be careful who has access to your ear. Be careful who's speaking into your life because that's the gateway to your spirit.
The second thing about this verse, about cursing the negative, is that when people around you begin to be affected by your toxic speech or your poison tongue, or your hateful tones - you are cursing these people. In fact, when you use your words to criticize, to complain, to slander, or to gossip, you're cursing those people. When you complain about your spouse to someone, you're cursing your spouse. When you badmouth your boss or your co-worker or your neighbor or anyone else for that matter, you are cursing them. You are releasing negative power over them. If you gossip about someone, you are cursing them.
Let me ask you a question. When you pray for people, do you pray for them like this? Do you say, “Oh, God, bless Susie, man, she needs it, Lord, she's a mess.” How many know that's not a blessing? Or do you pray for people like this, “Lord, bless Susie, Lord, she needs it. God, you love her so much. I'm telling you, Lord, she's such a blessing to me. I'm so glad you brought her into my life. I mean, she's just wonderful.” How many know, there's a difference in those two prayers? The way you speak over somebody is important. You can either bless them or you can curse them. The power of life and death are in the tongue.
So, we've looked at the negative aspect of cursing, let's shift our focus now to the positive aspect of blessing. What does it mean to bless? To bless someone is to release the positive supernatural power of God through spoken words into their life. It's the ability to bring healing, joy, peace, and encouragement through your words. You can lift people out of their metaphorical prisons or pits with the words you choose to speak. It's just as easy to speak life as it is to speak death into someone's life. Being kind, considerate, and uplifting requires no more effort than being toxic and hurtful. In fact, it's often easier because it brings about joy, peace, and positivity in your own life as well. Here's a fundamental truth to remember, every word you utter either blesses or curses. It's not just about what you say to others, but also about what you say to yourself.
We often forget the impact of self-talk. What are you saying about yourself? Are you speaking blessings or curses over your own life? Remember, you have the power to choose your words and, by extension, the power to bless yourself and others. Let's dive deeper into the origins of this concept of being blessed to be a blessing. In the book of Genesis, the very beginning of everything, we find the blueprint for this concept. In Genesis 1:28, after creating Adam and Eve, God blessed them and instructed them to be fruitful and multiply. This illustrates that God's blessings are not accidental but intentional. He is a Father who blesses His children. The blessing isn't based on our deserving it or our good works; it's a reflection of God's nature.
Think about it. God, the Creator of the universe, took the time to bless His creation. This act shows us that blessings are a foundational aspect of God's character. It's not something He does occasionally; it's who He is. Now, let's fast forward to another powerful blessing in Numbers 6:24: "The Lord bless you and keep you..." These words illustrate God speaking a blessing over our lives, emphasizing the importance of receiving His blessings. This verse reminds us that God desires to bless and protect us. It's His nature to do so.
Understanding that blessings are both an inherent part of God's character and something He wants to bestow upon us, let's explore how we can cooperate with these blessings. To truly embrace the concept of being blessed to be a blessing, we must rid ourselves of covetousness and selfishness. We must understand that God's blessings are meant to flow through us into the lives of others. We should aspire to reach a point where our overflow becomes a source of blessing for those around us. That's why it's essential not only to be receivers of blessings but to be givers as well. Think about it this way: if you constantly receive but never give, you're like a dam holding back a river. You might be receiving plenty of water, but you're not allowing it to flow and benefit others downstream. On the other hand, when you become a giver, you open the floodgates, allowing blessings to flow through you and touch the lives of those around you.
Barriers Can Hinder
Your Spoken Words Can Stop the Flow of Blessing
Barriers That Can Hinder The Flow of Blessings
Now, let's delve into a few barriers that can hinder the flow of blessings in our lives. Recognizing and addressing these barriers is crucial if we want to live a life of abundance and purpose. The first barrier is a covetous spirit. Covetousness is an excessive desire for things that belong to others, whether it's their possessions, status, or even their blessings. When we covet what others have, we block the flow of blessings in our own lives. We become so focused on what we lack that we overlook the abundance already present. This attitude not only hinders our ability to receive blessings but also obstructs our capacity to be a blessing to others.
Here's a practical example: If you constantly envy your neighbor's success, you might miss opportunities for your own success. When you're too preoccupied with their achievements, you neglect your own potential. Instead of coveting, we should celebrate the blessings in others' lives and trust that our time for blessings will come as well.
Rebellion is another significant barrier to blessings. A rebellious spirit puts us in contradiction with God's will. Remember the story of Jonah? He initially resisted God's call and ended up in dire circumstances. Rebellion takes us away from the path of blessings. When we have an attitude that says, "I'll do what I want to do first, and maybe I'll consider God's plans later," we hinder the flow of blessings in our lives. Rebellion can manifest in various ways, such as ignoring God's commands, refusing to follow His guidance, or simply prioritizing our desires over His. To live the blessed life, we must choose to do God's will His way, even when it seems challenging.
Lastly, a worldly spirit or attitude can block the blessings of God. To have a worldly spirit means being more focused on earthly matters than on heavenly ones. When our hearts are entangled with the things of this world, we create a barrier to the blessings of God. The Bible warns against being too attached to the world's ways, as it can lead us away from God.
In 2 Timothy 4:10, it mentions a man named Demas who left the faith because he loved the present world. Demas prioritized worldly desires over his relationship with God. Similarly, in Acts 7:39, we read about believers who turned back to worldly ways instead of following God wholeheartedly.
To break free from these barriers, we need to shift our focus and say, “God, I never want to be so self-focused that all I can see is me.”