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This is a great time of year to be reminded of how generous our God is, as well as how generous His people should be. Here are a few things to remember about God’s blessings:
God really does want to bless us
Of the 36 recorded miracles of Jesus, the feeding of the 5,000 is the only one mentioned in all four gospels besides the resurrection. Jesus blessed that crowd by feeding them literally and spiritually. Do you genuinely believe He wants to bless you today too?
“What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? … how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:9,11).
God wants to bless others through us
“I will bless you … so that you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2).
Those who followed Jesus to the northern part of Israel were basically stranded on a remote mountain. When faced with the logistical nightmare of feeding at least 5,000 people without any legitimate food source, the disciples all stated the most obvious and practical solution: Send them home (Luke 9).
That is ministry-speak for “not our problem.” But Jesus essentially replied, “They actually are your problem” (Luke 9:13).
I must admit that the disciples had some legitimate points. Philip wondered, “Where can we buy bread? We don’t have enough money!” Andrew asked, “What are five barley loaves and two fish for so many?”
In reality, there is no way your church will be able to meet every need in your community, much less the world. But is that a legit excuse to do nothing for the needy?
“If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need—how can God’s love reside in him? Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action” (1 John 3:17–18).
In reality, there is no way your church will be able to meet every need in your community, much less the world. But is that a legit excuse to do nothing for the needy?
Your obedience triggers God’s blessings
When Jesus commanded the disciples to go look for food among the crowd, a generous boy gave up his meager lunch of bread and fish. I’m guessing that little boy’s basket was fuller when he left than when he came!
“A generous person will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9).
The other side of that gospel coin is that our disobedience triggers God’s discipline:
“The one who gives to the poor will not be in need, but one who turns his eyes away will receive many curses” (Proverbs 28:27).
Have you led your church to become a channel of blessing for widows and orphans, the helpless and homeless, the prisoners and refugees? Perhaps no church can tackle all these challenges, but our calling is to channel the unique resources of our churches to bless our neediest neighbors in our community and our world. The happiest pastors and churches I know are the ones who understand they have been blessed to be a blessing.
“Happy is one who cares for the poor, the Lord will save him in a day of adversity. The Lord will keep him and preserve him, he will be blessed in the land” (Psalm 41:1–2).
