Day 262 Whose Agenda?

The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Everyone mentioned in these verses sees Jesus' entry into Jerusalem differently: some saw him as the political messiah who would overthrow Roman rule and re-nationalize Israel--they shouted “Hosanna” and waved palm branches--both of which were declarations of Jewish nationalism. Others came to see the person who could raise the dead and were caught up in the political rally wondering what else this miracle worker could do. The religious leaders saw all of it and knew their traditions were being threatened and it seemed to them that the entire world was coming to Jesus.

But they were all wrong--even the disciples were confused. Jesus wasn't a conquering king riding in on a battle horse, but a carpenter's son, riding a donkey. God's agenda through Jesus was to offer himself up as the final sacrificial Passover lamb, and nearly everyone present missed it. God isn't on our agenda--we are on his--and we also fail to see it today!

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for the times I have been preoccupied with my own agenda and have failed to seek you. Please show me your will as I read the Bible and enable me to do what pleases you. Amen.

Day 260 Hanging out

The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction. Exodus 24:12

God is calling Moses to climb the mountain to hand off  the laws and commandments here, right?

Not so much. “Stay here” in this verse really means, “be here” or “exist here.” So what is God asking Moses to do?

God is really asking Moses to climb the mountain, not only to chisel out and carry back the stone tablets, but also to come up and be there – to hang out with him. He's asking Moses to come up and to be fully awake, fully alive, and fully present with God in that moment. He is asking Moses to live fully awakened to the fact that he is in the very presence of God, the creator and sustainer of all, in the here and now.

God knows that we live our lives at a breathless pace, rushing from one place to another. What God is saying to Moses is simply this: “Don’t miss it.” Don’t miss what is going on all around you. Don’t be so focused on somewhere else that you miss the very moment that you are in.

Like Moses, my tendency would be to climb the mountain, thinking the whole time about what might be on the top, only to reach the top, thinking about what might happen when we get back down. All the time, we miss the mystery of the present moment.

What would it look like to live a life that is fully present? What would it look like to see God all around you, to live in the mystery of the present moment? I wonder how that would change our perception of what is important in this life.

God, awaken me to who You are and what You are doing in this world. Help me not to be looking forward to something or somewhere else. Help me not to miss it. Help me not to miss You.

Day 259 When you're Angry and you Know it, say Why!

In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Psalm 4:4

Yeah. Counting to ten? Probably not gonna work.

The default question most people ask about anger is “What.” What triggered my anger? But what is reallly not a good question. It’s too easy! It’s too general! It’s not that helpful. The stuff that triggers anger can be anything--bad music, a dirty room, traffic, rudeness, not flushing the toilet, deleted a recorded TV show, whatever. Who cares? Down deep we know that really, asking what isn't going to get at the problem.
               
So instead of asking, “What?” Ask, “Why?” Why forces you to peel back a layer and look inside your heart. Why did that trigger my anger? Chances are, asking why will help you discover one of two primary emotions hiding in a corner of your soul: one in the fetal position and one in the attack position.
               
All curled up in the fetal position is fear, the fearful me. Fearful me expresses her anger because she is afraid she isn’t a good person or friend, afraid of failure or rejection, afraid that she can’t control others to compliance, and so on.
               
The second emotion is hurt. Hurt hides right next to fear but like a wounded animal, hurt is very dangerous because all it knows how to do is attack others. If I hurt you with my anger, I don’t have to focus on the hurt I feel or reopen the hurtful wounds I’ve never dealt with.
              
 If we don’t learn where anger is coming from, it keeps coming back out, over and over. Maybe that's why this Bible verse says to “search our hearts.” If you want to slay the dragon of anger, search your heart. Ask the right question. Learn from your emotions. Change your behavior. Improve your relationships. Easy? No. Doable? Si.

Day 258 Right and Wrong at the Very Same Time

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 Matthew 5:10
I want to be blessed by God, but am I persecuted because of righteousness? Seriously. 

People can react in surprising ways or reject you when you are doing good: God warns us it will happen. It's called "opposition." If you are facing opposition, it may be because you are doing the right thing....In fact, I pretty much expect opposition these days: it tells me I'm on track!

Sometimes, we have to make a choice between living for God’s approval and living for the approval of others. When we commit ourselves to our faithful Creator and continue to do good (1 Peter 4:19), it doesn’t always “feel” good.

With the Holy Spirit’s help, we make our decisions by faith, not on feelings, and we can love others and practice righteousness in daily dependence upon God.

Dear Heavenly Father, during Lent I’m aware of Jesus’ sacrifice to make me righteous – in right standing with You. I want to live faithfully and please You.  Please direct me in the next step I can do to practice righteousness.

Day 257 Faith is Active

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. 
Proverbs 3:5-6

Faith is acting out your belief in God. Faith is action. When we act upon our beliefs, good things happen: when we remain stagnant, our faith does not grow. Psalm 37:3-5 says:

       Trust in God and do good = safe living
       Delight in God = receiving the true desires of your heart
       Commit your way to God = your life will shine

Is there a better way to live than a life of faith in action? I haven't found one. Put your faith, your trust, your life in the hands of God. Faith and action will happen!

Day 256 Making Peace

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matt. 5:9

Despite what we're taught in current American culture, peacemaking isn't for wimps. It's not about compromise or giving in to bullies.

Like most things about God, peacemaking is really just the opposite of our cultural conventions: peacemakers have a quiet strength and self-control, and they're commited to not letting their rights interfere with their desire for righteousness (Jas. 3:18).

Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker. There's an old, kind of gory poem that says, "I hear the words of love. I gaze upon the blood. I see the mighty sacrifice, and I have peace with God." God was so committed to reconciling with us--who are hostile or rebellious towards him because of sin--he willingly died a painful death for us. That's peacemaking.

God, thank you for making peace with me through Jesus! Help me to look to you for wisdom and help when my buttons are pushed and I’m often tempted to add heat to the already blazing fire! Amen.

Day 255 Persistent Reliance

"Sarah, if you ask, God will give it to you; if you seek him, you will find what you are looking for; if you knock, the door will open. When Sarah asks, she will receive; when she seeks, she will find; and when she knocks, God will open the door....If your son asks you for bread, would you give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, would yougive him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to you when you ask him!  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, because this is what God requires of you." Matthew 7:7-12
God expects us to continually ask him for help. In the Greek, the verbs 'ask, seek, and knock' are actions that are continual and persistent – keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.

We can be persistent because God desires to meet our needs. And to make sure we get the point, it's repeated in verse 8 and illustrated in verses 9-11! When children ask us for a good thing, we have enough sense to not give them something harmful or useless. But do we really believe that's true about God?

This passage says it clearly: God wants us to keep asking him for good things. However, the main idea is not about us--but on the wonderful reality that God is good. The act of persistent reliance on God in prayer shows that we truly believe that God is good and will answer us. That is an active faith.

Heavenly Father, help Sarah to want to know you better so she can trust you more. Show her that you are truly good so that she will keep on asking, seeking, and knocking every day of her life. Amen

Day 254 Do you see what I see?

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Luke 18:40-41

The blind man in this story asked for what he wanted most--to see.....There were no optometrists, no LASIK eye surgery, no cornea transplants. Blindness and begging were this man's destiny…until the day Jesus passed by.

With a buzz in the air, people rush past him in excitement to see Jesus. Although he can’t see with his eyes, I bet the man feels the energy in the air and hears it clearly. Jesus was near, and in desperation he starts to cry out. When he's rebuked by the crowd, he yells louder. The crowd ignored him, but Jesus took notice and answered.

A Bible commentator named William Barclay wrote, “A gentle, sentimental longing never really taps into the power of God. God's power is in the passionate, intense desire that comes from the deepest part of the human heart, and he will never disappoint you.”

Our faith is often so proper, shushing the deepest desires of our heart. Too often we allow what others think to determine our actions—even in our relationship with Jesus Himself.

Today, may we be more like the blind beggar who cried out in desperation…and was answered.

Day 253 Whole-hearted

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matt. 5:8

In Bible times, the heart was the center of your being. Your emotions, thoughts, motivations, courage and action all came from your heart. The "pure in heart" are saturated with God’s desires. They're not perfect--they just recognize God at work in the world around them. 

People who are pure in heart are led by the Holy Spirit and aware of God’s will working in their lives even when they struggle and are in pain. As they recognize and yield to the Holy Spirit’s leading, they experience more of God’s favor and peace, his blessing, in all they do until they eventually see Him face to face.

Lord, thank you for the blessing that is Sarah's as she yields to your will and walks in your paths.  Amen

Day 253 Too Good for Jesus

 

The Cleaning Woman

There was a little old cleaning woman that went to the local church. When the invitation was given at the end of the service, she went forward wanting to become a member. The pastor listened as she told him how she had accepted Jesus and wanted to be baptized and become a member of the church.

The pastor thought to himself, "Oh my, she is so unkempt, even smells a little, and her fingernails aren't clean. She picks up garbage, cleans toilets--what would the members think of her." He told her that she needed to go home and pray about it and then decide. 

The following week, here she came again. She told the pastor that she had prayed about it and still wanted to be baptized. "I have passed this church for so long. It is so beautiful, and I truly want to become a member."

Again the pastor told her to go home and pray some more. A few weeks later while out eating at the restaurant, the pastor saw the little old lady. He did not want her to think that he was ignoring her so he approached her and said, "I have not seen you for a while. Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yes," she said. "I talked with Jesus, and he told me not to worry about becoming a member of your church."

"He did?" said the pastor.

"Oh, yes" she replied. "He said even He hasn't been able to get into your church yet, and He's been trying for years."

Day 252 Seven Good, Daily Habits

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Here are seven good habits for daily living.
                 1. Make a daily, definite consecration of yourself to God (outloud).
                 2. Tell God you are willing to be willing about everything that comes your way.
                 3. Rely on Christ to do His part perfectly.
                 4. Confess sin instantly.
                 5. Hand over to Christ every temptation and concern.
                 6. Keep in touch with Christ. (Read the Word, good books, pray, and seek places and people where He is.)
                 7. Expect the Holy Spirit to work in, with, and for you.

Day 251 Mercy Me!

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matt. 5:5

Way back when, I worked on an illustration for one of my bosses that showed a trickle of water leaking out from under a bulging sluice gate in the desert. The drawing was supposed to illustrate "mercy." I knew even back then that something was not right about it, although I probably couldn't have told you what it was.

Today I know that those who truly accept God's mercy aren't sitting outside its gates like panting dogs begging for a scrap. When we chose to believe in him, God he let loose the floodgates and bowled us over with his mercy! That's why I like this song lyric, "Mercy, there’s a word we could drown in every moment..."

The words remind me how desperately I need mercy…every day, every moment. How, when I think about what it means to receive mercy from a perfect, righteous, heavenly Father, I am overwhelmed to the point of “drowning.” I gasp and have to catch my breath at how compassionate and patient He is with me. And that leads me to ask myself, “How merciful am I to those around me?”

If, like my former boss, I only recognize God as someone who metes out mercy like a tyrant who's holding back his goodness and blessings from me, I'll probably won't be a merciful person. But, if I recognize that God has unleashed his storehouse of mercy on me, I wind up being thankful for every breath and eager to share from the wealth I receive every day!

What does being merciful look like? It begins with taking the time to listen. Our merciful response in our relationships could be to pray, to forgive or perhaps to help those within our sphere of influence to take a “next step” towards offering mercy to others themselves.... As we extend mercy to others we can more deeply experience and appreciate God’s mercy towards us.

Dear Jesus, thank you for Your mercy towards Sarah. Your unconditional love for her never ceases! Bless her with Your faithfulness. Help her to extend mercy to others, and reveal to her those in her life who need not just her mercy, but Yours. Amen.

Day 250 What IS "Perfect?"

Jesus tells us that the Father’s love is universal and that he gives us an example to follow “For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”

Love means to act in good will toward those we like and those we do not like. The Bible says “to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

So, what's "perfect?" Perfect is “growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity." That means, "to be complete."

We can't do this in our own strength though--2 Cor. 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!”  With God’s help we can, indeed, love our enemies.

Lord, show me who I am not in right relationship with. Give me the strength to pray for them regularly so that your Spirit will work in both of us and I will be "perfect" the way you define it. Amen

Day 248 HON-gry! nom nom nom

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matt. 5:6
What does it really mean to be ‘filled?' When I'm really hungry and thirsty, I want something "real" and "good" to eat that will satisfy.

When Jesus talks about righteousness, I think He is referring to a daily trust and reliance on Him. True contentment and the desire to be “filled” can be found when I seek Him as I live and interact with others. Our relationship with Jesus is where we get our true hunger and thirst filled.

Jesus, let Sarah's heart-hunger and thirst be satisfied in you. Help her to align the desires of her heart with the desires you have for her. Fill her with your love and mercy so that she has love and compassion to pour out to others. Amen.

Day 247 Paradox of Strength

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5:

Psalm 37 says that the meek focus on God and not on their circumstances. We will always be badgered by evil – people who are out to get us, difficult relationships, and the like. Jesus calls us to rise above it. Be above any finger-pointing.

Walk confidently in God’s ways even if you’re the only one at the family gathering, in the workplace, in the neighborhood, on the road. Possess self-worth, not self-importance. Recognize your total dependence on God who gives you strength to not join in a negative attitude or conversation. 

Wait….hope….trust….do good…be generous. There’s great strength in meekness! A great inheritance awaits you!!

Day 246 Miss you!

Mother's love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved.
                                                                                            Erich Fromm

Day 245 A Walk on the Impossible Side

"During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified.
"It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
"Come," He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. "You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?"
 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Matthew 14:25-33

Peter's lack of faith forced him to sink so that Jesus had to save him--but Peter can be commended for stepping out of the boat and attempting to walk on the water in the first place: none of the other disciples were exactly fighting to join him!

Living by faith sometimes means stepping out into the unknown and depending on God to carry us through. Many times, I never step out of the boat, and in my comfortable lifestyle I miss out on the fullness of God.

People who walk by faith aren't afraid to attempt the impossible. Like Peter, we need to place our lives in the hands of God and walk on the impossible side.

An autho named Carl Bates wrote abou this experience with being comfortable and attempting something greater than himself: There came a time in my life when I earnestly prayed, "God I want Your power!" Time went on, and the power did not come. One day the burden was more than I could bear. "God, why haven't You answered that prayer?" God seemed to whisper back His simple reply, "With plans no bigger than yours, you don't need My power."

Day 244 Pace Space

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

It's a busy week! Help Sarah to make time for "soul rest" with you. Amen.

Day 243 With understanding comes....Mark Twain

"It's not the things that I do not understand in the Bible that bother me: it's the things that I do understand." Mark Twain

Day 241 More than Less

When I was growing up, there weren’t a lot of extras. There simply wasn’t money for them. The reality of living on less was part of my life early on and became a habit I kept as a young adult. Years of college and grad school put the skills my mother modeled to good use: buying generic, looking for sales, and cooking from scratch. Not having much as a child made me realize that I could live without most things.

There are some definite benefits to living simply. One thing it’s given me is freedom. Most of what I own cost me very little: it’s used stuff that I picked up here and there, so if it falls apart or breaks down, it’s not a big deal—it’s like I’m borrowing it anyway! When I move, I leave many things behind, turning them into farewell gifts for my neighbors and friends who can use them.  It’s a joy to share with others what I’ve been given. Living simply can mean living with less anxiety about stuff and fosters a wonderful simplicity.

Living with less has also given me freedom in terms of time. Because I don’t need a lot of money, I don’t have to work like crazy just to pay the bills—and I can choose to do work that I love instead of needing to work just to pay for the stuff I already have or to get new stuff.

But, as much good as “living with less” does for me, it can also be a kind of idol at times. Somehow my brain got wired into thinking that in an ideal world, spending less is always better when actually less is not always better and cheap is not always good.

Sometimes what is cheap or less actually hides other costs. Cheap sometimes translates to pain or hardship for someone else. Cheap can mean more work or more repairs and hassles. Cheap also sometimes translates into less healthy—and that can be more costly down the road.

For all the good of living simply, a love of “cheap” can get in the way of understanding and living out the extravagance of God: being too cheap means that I can spoil other's joy by not going out or not giving to others. Certainly, God wants us to use the resources He gives us wisely, but that shouldn’t come at the cost of honoring others or delighting in the good gifts He gives us.

Day 240 Say it with me: NO!

We are not trying to please people, but God, who tests our hearts. 1Thessalonians 2:4b

I want to say yes. I want to serve others. I want to make other people happy. After being born into and brought up in the church, saying yes is almost instinct: it seems so Christian. 

But, since it is basically impossible to do everything at once, every time you say yes, you are almost always also saying no to something else. And by saying yes, we can unintentionally say no to the things that matter most.

It can be really hard to say no--to people you love or a request that seems like an easy yes. But we can progress at learning to say no with love.

Here’s an email dialogue I saw this week as an example in one of my devotions:

Colleague: Hi, Ann. On Monday night October 15, we are having a church membership class. Would you be able to come and speak so we can video you for use in future classes?

Me: Hi! Thanks for asking! Can you please give me another date? Monday is my day off, and I will have just returned from a conference where I will have gotten very little sleep. I may actually be dead that day.

Colleague: Don’t make me tell you that Pastor Rick is coming in on his day off!!! Unfortunately, it’s the only date we can do it. Come on sweetie, please?

Me: If guilt techniques worked on me, I wouldn’t have lasted this long...and I’d probably have a boring job like yours. Let me give you an answer in my bilingual tongue and communicate it in many different languages: No.

Believe me, I completely understand how difficult it is to say no to conniving, weasel-like, manipulating family, friends, or colleagues like this who use multiple exclamation points to try to get their way.

With that particular request, a yes response to teach during that membership class would have become a no to several more important things: to my Sabbath, to rest and reflection, to my family.

Quite frankly, my work responsibilities require me to say no to my friends and family more than enough already. Therefore when I have the choice, I will say no to many opportunities and requests (many of which are good and meaningful) so I can say yes to what matters most.

We can all learn to say no! Most of the time, we really do have the choice. When we say no, we may run the risks of missing a great opportunity or of not being asked again. But, almost always we have the choice to say yes to what matters most. What will you choose?

Day 239 Shadowlands

Lent is traditionally a time when believers purposely go into the “desert” to contemplate Christ’s suffering and to hear God’s still, small voice more effectively.

Although I don't love to suffer – in even small ways – God uses Lent to teach me that the desert has a beauty all its own. That’s because God values the sacrifices of His children. Not that he takes pleasure in our pain, but He uses lack to refine us and draw us closer to Him so that later we can know joy on a deeper level, beyond what our five senses can discern.

Of course, we’re not meant to live forever in the season of Lent. We know, with confidence, that after Christ’s suffering and sacrifice, Easter morning came. Lent is a season set aside to remind us that we are still inhabitants of the "Shadowlands" as C.S. Lewis called them.

We are not in heaven, and we have work to do. Though we experience great beauty and  deep joy in this life, nothing fully satisfies us like God's plan that's waiting for us in the fullness of time.

Be encouraged. God is near.

Day 238 Pancake-kays on my Mind....

People of peace are people who have learned, with God's help, to control their mind. They regulate what goes in, and peace prevails. Others choose to put garbage into their mind, and garbage naturally comes out.

Your mind is a powerful source of help and energy. When you give your mind and thoughts over to God's power, you begin to think the thoughts of our Lord and live with the peace from above. Don't waste your precious life with less than what God has to offer.

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Day 237 Daily Blessings

Blessed be the name of the Lord who daily loads us down with jubilation! Psalm 68:19a

Day 236 A Time to Run

Running is one of the worst things ever invented. It's so bad that it must be an argument against the existence of God. This must be why God gave us grace--so that we can "run and not be weary." Needless to say, some of us are built for comfort, not for speed.

The problem with running for its own sake is that it's hard: it tires you out, makes your lungs ache, your body sore, and drains your mental resolve. Running is only really becomes acceptable when it's done for some other good purpose, like during a team sport--and it that case, it's a necessary evil. ;p

There’s a certain inertia that attaches itself to our life in this world, a tendency that makes us want to rest and be comfortable--and running is decidedly uncomfortable, and it's the difficulty of running makes it a good image of the Christian life.

Although there aren’t any accounts in the Bible about Jesus running, there aremany examples using the image of running. Isaiah says, “They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Paul, looking back on his life, says that he has “finished the race.” In both cases, it's the difficulty of running that is referred to: the weariness, the obstacles, the suffering.

Running as suffering is an image of our call to sanctification and becoming more like Christ. In that way, giving up something for Lent represents living out in a tangible way the “dying to self” that is a key of the Christian life....Making running a kind of ascetic practice, designed to discipline our bodies and our souls and orient the path of our life toward rest in Christ.

Another story about running in the Bible is Joseph running from Potiphar’s wife. “She caught him by his cloak and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.” The Heidelberg Catechism describes the “dying-away of the old self” as being “genuinely sorry for sin,” causing us to “more and more hate and run away” from sin.

Our friend Kate Kooyman says, "running is a terrible thing, unless you are running away from something." During Lent this year, how about running away from sin, like Joseph did.

God, give Sarah the grace to persevere to the end of the race like Paul did, and take comfort in God, who, “makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.”

Day 234 Tag, you're it!

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.  Genesis 12:2-3

When you see the word “blessing” do you automatically think of receiving? That’s how we’ve been taught to think about blessings: God gives, we receive.

But this verse says that Abraham received God’s blessing for one reason: to give it away. God tells Abraham once that he is going to bless him and then tells him three times that he will be a blessing to others. God doesn’t just bless us so we feel good or because he wants us to enjoy his blessings to the exclusion of others.

We are blessed to in turn be a blessing. Why? Because living generously is living fully in tune with the heart of God. Receiving so that you can give is central to our faith life. We share our blessings because this is the way God lives.

When we choose to live generously – giving, loving, blessing, encouraging, lending, and mending that which is broken – we leave a legacy of generosity, ensuring that the cycle of blessing continues.

You have been blessed. Now it’s your turn.