Be a Blessing
By Lisa Boyer
“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.”
Genesis 12:2
“Be a blessing,” my friend said, and as soon as I heard those words I knew I was in trouble. Even though the words were spoken by a friend, they were a command from God.By Lisa Boyer
“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.”
Genesis 12:2
You see, I had arranged for a day off from work and was on my way to stay overnight with my mom. I was feeling pretty good about myself and what a good daughter I was being until those words “be a blessing” hit my ears. I knew immediately that being a blessing was not the same as being a good daughter, and I really only wanted to be a good daughter.
I spent much of the drive to my mom’s contemplating what being a blessing would look like versus being a good daughter. I knew what my mom would want to do while I was there…and was already planning on doing those things…so what would the difference be?
Then it hit me. On this trip, the difference was going to be about my attitude. My smug “good daughter” attitude wasn’t going to be a blessing to my mom, no matter what we were doing together. This visit wasn’t about what a good daughter I could be, it was about being there for my mom. I decided I wanted to be a blessing more than I wanted to be a good daughter.
I can’t tell you whether or not I was a blessing, you’d have to ask my mom that question. But, I can tell you that wanting to be a blessing made a difference in my attitude. We did the things my mom wanted to do and I was enthusiastic about them. And when she said, “Well, you don’t wanna…” I said, “Yes, I do!” And when I thought it was time for me to go home, I heard “be a blessing” repeating in my head. So I paused and asked God, “How can I be a blessing to my mom?” Then I stayed and did a few things I hadn’t planned on doing, like hauling landscaping rocks from the trunk of her car to the garden…while smiling, of course.
Eventually, I went home…to be a blessing to my own family.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you ready to be a blessing to someone? Will you pray and ask God to whom He wants for you to be a blessing and then be that blessing today?
FURTHER READING:
1 Peter 3:9-12; Proverbs 10:7
Lisa has been married to Ted for 18 years and they have two teenage sons. She is a co-leader for the Junior High girls’ small group.
