Blessed to be a Blessing – Part 1 – The Cost

Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The concept of being "blessed" is popular among circles of faith and even those who don't have any faith at all. With that said, what does it actually mean? The 1828 Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “blessed” as “Happy”; Secular - prosperous in worldly affairs; Spiritually - enjoying spiritual happiness and the favor of God; enjoying heavenly felicity. “Something “blessed” - praising or extolling; consecrating by prayer. To give a “blessing” is defined as a benediction; a wish of happiness pronounced; a prayer imploring happiness upon another, in which happiness is desired, invoked or foretold. To be a “blessing” is defined as any means of happiness; a gift, benefit or advantage; that which promotes temporal prosperity and welfare, or secures immortal felicity. The divine favor is the greatest blessing. A divine blessing is being in the favor of God; under His Providence: protection and care. At our heart’s core, divine blessing is what everyone seeks from God. This divine favor from God opens the door to everything else that one could ever use in life, including prosperity, family and influence. Prosperity symbolizes livelihood, family symbolizes future and influence symbolizes honor. But, there is a cost that comes along with being blessed by God.  

Luke 12:48 “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

One of the most ancient examples of it known to man is that of Abraham. The flipside to the Abrahamic promise was that he would have to give up more prosperity, family and influence then he could ever imagine. What we currently have in our life today seems a lot more concrete than what we do not yet have in the unknown future. We think: I see it. I can touch it. Why would we ever consider leaving it. It is a matter of willingly offering up our certain physical and financial future, our sense of security and our identity, by faith, into the hands of the Lord. It’s a matter of leaving the secular blessings that we know for physical and spiritual blessings that we do not know yet, trusting that it is out there.

In our lives, as we follow our Lord Jesus Christ, there are always two pulls. (1) there is a pull towards the things of God, and (2) there is a pull away from the things of God. Which one is ultimately going to win?

Let's continue Pastor Kyle's message on "being blessed and being a blessing" on the next post.

In Christ, Brian