You are Blessed to be a Blessing

There is a saying that when we can’t hear God’s voice during the trials in our lives, we are to remember that the teacher is always quiet during the test. 

Many people are feeling that God is being especially quiet during these times of sickness, death, uncertainty, and now upheaval. If this is a test, I fear that many of us may be failing.

I’m not convinced that God really is being quiet. I think he’s telling us what we need to do. We’re just not listening.  I believe that we as Christians are called to be change-makers and to use the blessings we’ve been given to be a blessing to others. Stay with me and I’ll tell you how. 

First, let’s explore the concept that this is all just a test. Think back to the book of Job when God allowed Satan to test Job by destroying his wealth, his possessions, his family, and finally his health. Through it all, Job clung to his faith in God. Even though he did not understand why God was allowing his suffering. 

Satan did everything he could to separate Job from God. But he wasn’t able to because Job had built his life around a solid foundation. His faith in God. Even when he had been assaulted from every direction and everything had been stripped from his life, he knew all he needed was God. 

How many of us can say that? Can you honestly say you’ve been trusting God throughout our lives and especially now with all that has been going on these last few months? 

Or have you been doubting God’s presence and his ability to provide for you and your loved ones? Have you begun to doubt God’s ability to make it all go away in a blink of an eye?

Truly, have you forgotten that he laid the foundations of the earth, keeps the sea within its boundaries, and causes the sun to rise each day?

I think many of us have forgotten that not only did God create the world we live in, but he also sustains it. According to Colossians 1 verse 17, God holds all creation together. He protects us and prevents the world from falling into complete chaos. 

Based on all the fear and negativity I’ve been seeing in the world I get the sense that many of us, even as Christians, have lost confidence in the fact that God cares for us and wants to protect us. 

He is not insensitive to our suffering, he’s just asking us to trust in him and not our own understanding.  He wants us to trust him for who he is, not for what he does. And he is asking us to give up this independent streak that we all have wired into our being and turn to him for guidance in prayer and scripture. But then knowing what to do isn’t enough.  We have to do it. 

Unless the foundation of our lives is built on him and we truly rely on him and his wisdom on how to deal with the challenges in our lives, we will continue to live in fear and doubt. As much as we want to understand what is happening in the world and to fix it so we can make it all go away, we can’t. We don’t have that kind of power and influence. 

I really see this as people are getting more and more frustrated with the stay-at-home orders now being lifted. Everyone has a different take on what that means and how to reintegrate back into normal life. Some are angry to be limited in what they can do and others are fearful that there aren’t more limits. 

Sadly, since this is all new territory, we can only respond to the information we have available to us. Let’s face it, most of that is simply someone’s opinion based on the limited information they have available to them. So we argue about who is right and what procedures are the best way to respond to this threat to our nation and our people.

But no one really knows what is right, do we? And maybe that’s because there is no one right answer for everyone. What is right for someone in Chicago will be entirely different than someone in rural South Dakota. And what is right for an elderly or health compromised person will be entirely different than what is right for a young healthy person. And for that reason, each one is called to create the path that is for them to follow based on their own individual circumstances. So long as they are being personally and socially responsible.  

As in everything in life, there is not nor can there ever be a one size fits all solution for every situation. All we can do is simply do the best we can with what we have.  Even when it doesn’t make sense or we don’t understand. It is impossible to know all the information about any situation. 

An extreme example of this is all the protesting and riots going on across our nation this week. There are videos showing the demonstrations across the news and social media. Unfortunately, even the videos can’t show the whole picture. Like every conversation, news story, or situation, we can only see what is being told or shown. We don’t know what led up to the situation or any of the personal history of the parties involved. 

So as is our nature, we draw our own conclusion and almost always assume the worst in every situation.  We conclude that someone meant to be hurtful and focus on your response accordingly. But what if we could turn that and assume the best in people and give them the benefit of the doubt so we don’t further exacerbate the situation?  

I know it goes against how we are trained to think, doesn’t it? So lets to look at this from a different perspective. Let’s challenge the way we’ve been thinking about all of this. 

In chapter 3 of Colossians, starting at verse 2, we are called to think about the things of heaven, not of the things of earth. Basically, God is asking us to look at things from his perspective and to try to do things his way, not ours. By doing so, we learn to give up our need for pleasure, for material things, and even the need to be right. What if we instead seek the things Jesus would have us value, like loving and serving others. I interpret that to mean that we may need to give up some of our own personal rights or be inconvenienced to help others. 

In verses 8 and 9 of that same chapter, we are called to rid ourselves of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language and to stop lying to each other. I read that to mean, no more exaggerating statistics, passing on false rumors or gossip, or saying things that support your version of the truth. I feel confident that because there are so many variables in every situation, we cannot say that what is true in one situation can actually be true in another.  In reality, there are many versions of the truth right now and us getting upset or angry because one person’s version is different than ours isn’t doing anyone any good. 

And it certainly isn’t going to do any good to post derogatory comments about someone on social media or take to the streets with riots and violence. Yes, there is without a doubt injustice in the world. And people are suffering and even dying. But continuing the cycle of hatred and violence isn’t going to make it better. 

It’s almost like Paul could see what was going to happen in our world today. In verses 12 – 15 of Chapter 3, he goes on to say, “Clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace…”

How do we apply all that to our current situation? We develop a compassionate attitude which means we try to understand where others are coming from. And we forgive anyone who offends us.  We let love be the guiding force in our decisions. We let peace rule our hearts and allow it to be the deciding factor where conflict arises. Even, and maybe especially, when it means we don’t say what we are thinking. 

Folks, we have been so focused on ourselves and the suffering we’ve endured lately, that many of us have lost sight of the fact that we are called to love and serve others. That means we need to work together despite our differences of opinion.  You see, love is not a feeling, rather is it a decision to meet others’ needs. That means when we must make a decision that differs from someone else’s position, choose the path that will promote peace in our souls, in our relationships, in our community, and in our churches. That, my friend, is where peace and fulfillment will come in.  That is where we will find our more. Not in avenging ourselves and not in getting the last word in. 

The trick is balancing all of the individual needs. I can’t pretend to know how to resolve the rioting and violence other than dealing with one another as individuals instead of as a group of people. Taking the time to know what the people in our community and what their joys and sorrows are so they feel heard and recognized as an individual.

As far as the harsh words over this new season of COVID, I think it is allowing people grace to handle the situation in a way that works best for them. For some, it means staying home and staying safe more than ever right now. For others it may mean taking some extra risk and getting out and working so they can provide for their family. To me, the peace part of this is allowing each individual to do what their heart is telling them is right to do without judgment and without fear. Especially now when we really don’t know the outcome of many of the choices that are available to us. 

We all need to assess our risk and then make decisions accordingly. If God is telling you to stay home or to wear a mask everywhere you go, by all means, do that. If he’s not compelling you to be that risk-averse, don’t judge someone else for their need to follow that advice. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be respectful enough to stay home when you are sick or not wash your hands for the safety of yourself and others. And it certainly doesn’t mean you should be a jerk when someone else disagrees with you. 

We also need to respect the authority that God has placed on others and follow their rules and guidelines. They are there for a reason and unless they are asking us to do something that is illegal or unethical, we need to follow the decisions they have made. If you don’t agree, use the proper channels to voice your concerns, but then abide by the ultimate decision.  If you chose not to, then be prepared to live with the consequences.  This is probably one of the most difficult things for those of us who have that independent spirit within us. 

Before I move on, though, I really must share the last sentence in that section in Colossians. “And always be thankful.”

I love the way that my Life Application Study Bible summarizes this concept. It says that people who are truly thankful can worship wholeheartedly because the gratitude in their hearts opens them up to God’s peace and allows them to love others. It goes on to say that people who aren’t content with life are constantly focused on what is wrong with their life. 

And there seem to be a lot of those folks right now, doesn’t there? Especially now as we watch in horror as people are taking to the streets it is hard to imagine how someone like you or I can make a difference. I’ve never been one to believe or support rallies or protests because I don’t believe we will ever bring someone to see our side of an issue by shouting obscenities at them or waving signs in their faces.  

Instead, I believe change will only come as we connect more and more with our purpose in sharing Christ’s love one person at a time. By being kind to strangers we see in public. By having real conversations with people who hold different views than us. 

Also, by being open to learning and understanding them as an individual and what their needs are. If you are listening to this, chances are you’ve been richly blessed.  You probably have a decent home, a consistent source of income, and don’t have to worry about where your next meal is coming from.

Not everyone has those luxuries. And I’m sure it is frightening for them to see others they love begin to lose the little they have. So before we judge someone for reacting in a way that we would never react, let’s take a little time to see things from their perspective. And let’s love them exactly where thy are by listening with a sense of caring and concern. Remember, yours may be the only face of Christ some people will see today or ever. 

If you truly want to be thankful, look at all the good in your life. The people, your talents and skills, the work you’ve been blessed with, the relationships you have with others, and with Jesus, the things you have, and even the memories you hold in your heart. Then thank God for all those beautiful gifts. 

Truly, as I mentioned briefly earlier, remember that as a Christian, everything you do and everything you say is being held up and viewed as a representative of Christ. Are you leaving the impression you want to leave with people? If not, what changes could you make starting today that will move you closer to being someone who brings glory to God in all you do? 

We are all here for a reason. God created each and every one of us for a specific purpose. And he blesses us to be a blessing to others. Try that on for a minute. Have you ever considered yourself to be blessed to be a blessing? You are. Is it time to own that knowledge and begin to live like it? I’m working on it and I hope you will join me in this effort. 

It’s hard to believe, but with this episode, we are entering into the third season of Longing for More. As I mentioned last week, I am rebuilding my website and am working on a series focusing on creating a new normal as we come out of the stay-at-home portion of this season of COVD. Right now, I am building the foundation for that series and the related worksheet that I am developing to help you create your path.  

I’ve let go of my expectation of what the timeline should look like and am truly offering you my thoughts as the Holy Spirit feeds them to me.  I hope you will join me on this journey. I have complete faith that he will lead us exactly where we need to be if we have the courage to follow. You and I will likely not end up in exactly the same place until that final day, but hopefully, we can walk the path of discovery together starting right here. 

Thank you for stopping by. I know your time is valuable and it means a lot that you spent a part of your day with me. If you enjoyed this episode and are looking forward to learning more about creating a new life full of peace and contentment, I encourage you to subscribe to the show so you don’t miss an episode.  

I look forward to connecting with you again next week. Until then, go be blessed, stay safe and live your more!