God said to Abram, I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. (Gen. 12:2 NKJV) Notice that God blessed Abram—later Abraham—so he could bless others. Blessings from God have value beyond the individual who receives them.
Lest there be any doubt, Abraham was blessed indeed. We learn in chapter 13:2 that he was rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. At one point he deployed a personal army of 318 of his own servants. (Gen. 14) He’s the recognized patriarch of several ethnic groups.
And in the spiritual realm, Christians from all ethnic groups claim Abraham as a forerunner and patriarch because he fathered the lineage of Jesus Christ—and he offers Christians and all people with an example of obedience and faith.
So as Christians called to live by faith, we’re also called to recognize that we receive blessings so we can bless others. Peter made this clear when he said, not returning evil for evil . . . but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. (I Pet. 3:9)
Truly, we are blessed—so we can bless others.
Originally published May 29, 1987.
Picture: Pink peonies in full bloom viewed from the street, West Fargo, 2009. Photo by Solveig.
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