"Bless those who persecute you," says the apostle Paul. "Bless and do not curse."
Those words have stuck in my heart for a long time.
More and more I recognize that blessing others can only come from a heart given over to God. When we bless others who have hurt us, we are stepping beyond human boundaries.
It is a sign of God's love, flowing from us to others. These words of Paul above come in a passage in Romans 12 where he is speaking about how we are to love other people.
I have written several blog entries on blessing in the past couple of years - a number in recent months alone. I have read and enjoyed books such as The Grace Outpouring by Roy Godwin and The Power of Blessing by Kerry Kirkwood.
I am preoccupied by the topic. Now, I need to let God work through me to bless others on a daily basis.
I anticipate that blessing others regularly will change me.
The Bible draws a stark picture of blessing - and non-blessing. As Paul points out, we must not curse others. And cursing is much easier to do.
At first, cursing does not seem such a big deal. It's only words. But cursing suggests you have judged someone - and that judgement hangs between you and the person you have cursed.
I find that hard to accept. If someone has let me down, am I not justified in condemning him?
No, says Paul, I am not justified. Judgement belongs to God alone.
So, how can I bless someone who has let me down?
As I think about it, I must first begin by giving the incident to God and leave it in his hands, acknowledging my hurt. Then, I must thank God for the person and his qualities and pray a blessing for his good.
As Kerry Kirkwood suggests in his book, I can pray that the person will become what God wants him to be. I can pray spiritual, emotional, and physical blessings for him, too.
As I say, blessing others will surely change me. And God may work through my blessings in other people's lives.
That is certainly the testimony of books I have read.
That would be a great blessing from God in my own life.
Those words have stuck in my heart for a long time.
More and more I recognize that blessing others can only come from a heart given over to God. When we bless others who have hurt us, we are stepping beyond human boundaries.
It is a sign of God's love, flowing from us to others. These words of Paul above come in a passage in Romans 12 where he is speaking about how we are to love other people.
I have written several blog entries on blessing in the past couple of years - a number in recent months alone. I have read and enjoyed books such as The Grace Outpouring by Roy Godwin and The Power of Blessing by Kerry Kirkwood.
I am preoccupied by the topic. Now, I need to let God work through me to bless others on a daily basis.
I anticipate that blessing others regularly will change me.
The Bible draws a stark picture of blessing - and non-blessing. As Paul points out, we must not curse others. And cursing is much easier to do.
At first, cursing does not seem such a big deal. It's only words. But cursing suggests you have judged someone - and that judgement hangs between you and the person you have cursed.
I find that hard to accept. If someone has let me down, am I not justified in condemning him?
No, says Paul, I am not justified. Judgement belongs to God alone.
So, how can I bless someone who has let me down?
As I think about it, I must first begin by giving the incident to God and leave it in his hands, acknowledging my hurt. Then, I must thank God for the person and his qualities and pray a blessing for his good.
As Kerry Kirkwood suggests in his book, I can pray that the person will become what God wants him to be. I can pray spiritual, emotional, and physical blessings for him, too.
As I say, blessing others will surely change me. And God may work through my blessings in other people's lives.
That is certainly the testimony of books I have read.
That would be a great blessing from God in my own life.
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