REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Yohan Lee, a friend of AMI, was first posted on April 12, 2014. A graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA), Yohan served as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“Being a Blessing to Others”
Galatians 3:7-9
Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
I once worked with a guy who was a pretty accomplished repair man whose forte was the combustible engine; cars, yes, but more often lawnmowers. Every so often when George (that was his name) would see a lawnmower left on the curb for disposal, he’d take it to fix it up and sell it for some small profit. I used to admire George’s skill set, mostly because I knew his handiness translated into automobile repair, a talent I envied.
Once I asked George how he became so proficient at fixing engines. He replied that when he was younger, he had always had an interest in fixing cars (so he had a lot of experience), but in the end, he attributed most of his abilities to a lot of trial and error. George would always tell me, “You might as well try; you can’t break it any more, can you?” I cannot tell you how profoundly this pithy thought has impacted me as a handyman. Now when things break around the home or in the car, I first look to Youtube, with the intention of fixing the problem myself. Believe me, I am no expert, but I know that over the years, I have saved hundreds, probably thousands of dollars, just because I was willing to try. (Of course, my wife will complain that it takes me too much time to actually start a project, but that is another matter.)
As spiritual descendants of Abraham, the idea that “all nations will be blessed through you” is just slightly more intimidating than repairing an engine block. But if you let intimidation get the better of you, you will never be a blessing. You don’t have to go to China or the Middle East, but today, just start with the people around you: your friends, co-workers, neighbors, church members, etc. You may not even have to share the full-blown Gospel, but just start by giving them godly truths, or asking if they have prayer requests.
In church, you can bless others by helping them to grow in their faith. Are you willing to serve, even in mundane ways such as helping someone move? There are many ways to be a blessing, and chances are, you already have a large enough “spiritual tool belt” to bless those around you. So ask yourself, “Am I using what I already have to be a blessing?”
Prayer: Lord, help me to be a blessing to the nations, to those around me, and to you this day. Give me eyes to see someone’s need, and a heart that is willing to serve. Lord, also give me boldness to share about Christ or to speak the truth in love today. Let me be a blessing. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 49-50