When I was a fairly young believer, my father-in-law (who was also my Pastor) led us in a study of Gary Smalley and John Trent’s The Gift Of The Blessing. We talked then about how frivolously we throw around the words “blessed” and “blessing.” We even follow up a sneeze with “Bless you.”
But in Scripture, the idea of a “blessing” was filled with meaning. God said that all who treated Abraham and his descendants well would be blessed. The patriarchs reserved the “blessing” in their culture for a formal event in which they would pass on a word of promise about the future. And God Himself gave orders to the priests in Numbers 6:22-27 to pronounce a blessing on the people on His behalf:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them, ‘The Lord bless you and keep you: The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to You; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.’ So they shall put my name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
~ Numbers 6:22-27 NKJV
God obviously had more in mind in this message than a mere tradition of saying words after a sneeze. It is filled with meaning. We need to expand our understanding of what it means to bless someone, and here is how I would define it:
To bless someone means to be God’s hand or God’s voice in someone’s life, communicating to them the value that God places on having a relationship with them, and to do that which leads them into a greater understanding of and intimacy with God.
This may include believing and communicating positive promises about their future with our words. It may include the physical element of a pat on the back or a hug. It may also include sharing the gospel with someone who needs to hear it in order to lead them into a relationship with Jesus. To bless someone is more than a mere wave and a smile. It’s an intimate exchange in which we act as God’s priests to others, conveying His desire and will for their peace and joy to be found in a relationship with Himself.
So the assignment is simple. Go bless someone today – through your words, through an act of service, or by sharing your faith with them.
