“WHAT A DAY TO BE A BLESSING!”
By: Rev. J. Loren Russell, BA, MDiv.
Proverbs 25:21-22 (NKJV)
“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.”
The other day, I posted something on Facebook that keeps on getting a lot of “Likes” and positive comments. It had no title, but it had a point; when you are a blessing to others, you will be blessed!
In the focal text for this article, we are encouraged to be a blessing. Not to those who are our friends, family or even our acquaintances, but we are encouraged and directed to be a blessing to our enemies. There’s nothing more gratifying or more satisfying than being a blessing, especially to those who have done you wrong, lied on you, cheated on you, robbed and stole from you, or just treated you badly. Somehow and for some reason known only to God, blessing those who are at odds with us results in our being abundantly blessed. For you see, the blessing we get in return are not in the same proportion that we give, they come to us directly from the Lord Himself. The scripture says, “And the Lord will reward you.” Jesus encouraged his hearers in Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” In His discourse, Jesus asks them to consider that doing good, or loving those who do them good or who loves them is easy. He quickly reminds them that, “Even the tax collectors (hated in their time) do that.” But to love your enemies.., that requires something special. What a day to be a blessing!
When you’re a blessing, particularly to those with whom you are at odds, you lift their spirit and at the same time create space in your own reservoir, that is to say, in your own life, for abundant blessings to come your way. It is a profound truth and a beautiful mystery that can’t be explained; you can’t give without getting! And the very best thing is that you don’t have to seek nor expect anything in return (to do so nullifies the authenticity of your blessing). It’s the way the Lord planned it and there’s nothing you can do about it! “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). It’s even better when we bless those who do us evil: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you” (Prov. 25:21).
What a day to be a blessing!
Now, be blessed. And be a blessing!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church and Financial Consulting, an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx, hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Soul 1 Radio (internet), Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM. http://tobtr.com/s/7436671, or by phone at 626-226-1448.
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