Blessed to Be A Blessing
blessed (adjective): made holy; consecrated: She lived a blessed life.
“Be grateful for who you are and whatever you have. Everything you have is a gift from God.” Rick Warren
This weekend, Field and I went to Augusta, Georgia to see the Masters. Field is a huge golf fanatic, so its fun to see him in his element. I can’t tell you how amazing it is to be among the greatest golfers in the world. The atmosphere is so different than anything I’ve ever experienced. Before going to the competitions, Field and I would go play golf together. I am going to share our entire trip on a future post, however, I wanted to share with you a few thoughts I had this morning in my prayer time:
My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude. I am a blessed woman. I have always had all that I need, and more–and I thank God for His provision in our lives each and every day.
But I’ve been challenged with what gratitude really means over the past few months as I’ve been reading about true generosity in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, “Remember this–a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully! And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, ‘They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.’”
I am so grateful I married a man that believes in the power of giving and generosity. We have found God’s promise to be true, to provide all that we need when we are obedient to His Word. If we commit to being generous to giving to others, God promises to provide all that we need to live–and I believe, to live abundantly!
Did you know that if you own a car, you are in the top percentage of the world’s most wealthy people? Did you know that if you have $2,200 in assets (not cash), you are among the top 50% of the world’s wealthiest people? Did you know if you made at least $1,500 last year, that you’re in the top 20% of the world’s income earners??
Let’s put money aside. Let’s say you didn’t make $1,500 last year. Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have food to eat each day? Do you have an opportunity to go to school and get an education so that you can get a job someday that pays you more than $1,500 a year?
Sometimes, it can be hard to see–but we certainly are blessed.
I believe we are blessed to bless others. God’s blessings to us are not meant to end with us. “After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.” 1 Timothy 6:7
After all, Jesus himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” (Acts 20:35). I am so challenged to live my life in this way, and to teach my kids about the power of giving and blessing others.
I am so grateful that I don’t have to worry about putting food on the table for my children each day, but I can also remember the days when I lived paycheck to paycheck, just hoping to get by. I thank God for those years of my life that taught me that each day is a gift from God–and each blessing is from Him.
My prayer for you today: Dear Lord, I thank you for all that you have given me, today. I thank you for waking me up this morning and giving me breath in my lungs. Let me recognize the blessings that you’ve given to me–big and small. I pray that you would show me how to bless others, if even just with my words, smile and attitude. Lord, I pray that when you search the earth, you would see me as a willing and faithful servant–always willing to serve, give and love. Thank you for your blessings. Help me to bless others with my life! Amen!
Be blessed today!
XO-
Sabrina