Day 5: Choose to Bless

Choose to Bless | Therese Nehrt

The Kingdom of God often feels upside down; love your enemies, he who is least among you will be great, to him who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other also. . . What feels intuitive and natural, self-promotion and defensiveness, does not work in the Kingdom. In the Kingdom we put others first; care about the needs of others, prefer others above ourselves, put others first. It sounds like a recipe for becoming a doormat; like a good way to stay poor and at the bottom. 

And yet, despite that, somehow the Lord takes care of us. His desire is for us to prosper. But His method just seems wrong . . . doesn’t it? Aren’t we supposed to scrape and claw to get ahead, to provide for ourselves, to get everything we want? 

“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 measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. “ Luke 6:38

God’s heart is a spirit of generosity, of an outwardly focused mentality. And his measurement is not defined by earthly measures. He sees deep into our heart, seeing His spirit working in our heart, spilling out as a life lived to bless. 

“But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. . . Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others They all gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty.’” Mark 12:42-43

Blessing is released into our lives when we bless, when we give, when we serve . . .when we act like God. Lift up your eyes to those around you and find a way to bless others; you will find yourself swept away by rivers of living water, swimming in oceans of joy, and basking in the golden rays of God’s peace.